BY BETI. ONU AWKA
The Anambra state government has issued a warning to indigenes living abroad who returned home for the Yuletide to be cautious of land fraudsters who take advantage of their ignorance to sell unapproved lands.
Reports have shown that in the past, many people in the diaspora have been led into endless litigations by land agents because they bought lands not duly approved or owned by the government.
Commissioner for Lands, Prof. Offornze Amucheazi, SAN, expressed concern over how unsuspecting diasporans are swindled of their hard-earned money due to their failure to conduct proper land search.
He noted that his Ministry has simplified the process of inquiring about land status and securing land titles, urging people to verify the status of lands before making payments.
According to him, “We want to caution our brothers in the diaspora, who come and without due diligence, commit and lose so much money in the purchase of land.”
He further stated, “We have gotten reports of many of these kinds of purchases which have landed the unsuspecting diasporans in trouble, and we want to caution them ahead of time.
“We have done a lot to put things in order in the Ministry, so we urge the people to always verify with the Ministry before they purchase any of these lands.”
The commissioner also warned that the Ministry of Lands would recover any land illegally purchased or built upon in the Trans-Nkisi area and demolish unauthorized structures erected on such government land.
He warned that non-compliance would result in severe legal consequences.
The Commissioner added, “The Anambra State Government, through the Ministry of Lands, hereby warns members of the public to exercise caution and refrain from purchasing any government land in Trans-Nkisi from fraudulent individuals.”END
