Philip Shuaibu, APC candidate for Deputy Governor Has Taken my land, Governor Please Intervene – Pensioner Cries Out

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The APC deputy gubernatorial candidate in the forthcoming Edo 2016 election, Mr. Philip Shuaibu, is embroiled in fresh land grabbing scandal involving him and a Benin landlord.


Mr Shuaibu is accused of using his political influence to take over a plot of land measuring 2499.09sqm in Benin City known as Plot No. D11A, Aideyan Avenue, Opposite Gulf Course, GRA, Benin City belonging to a pensioner Benin man living in Benin City.

The said property was allocated to Engr. Otote, a native of Benin Kingdom, via a federal government monetization policy in his capacity as former director in the federal ministry. He was made to acquire the said property via the monetisation policy of the federal government.

Edo State government, led by Adams Oshiomhole, allegedly tried to repossess the lands that were validly and legally allocated to other Edos in the GRA.

The governor asked the landlords to apply to Edo State for the ‘regularization’ of their property. Many of the property owners of plots of land in the GRA applied for the ‘regularization’ of their papers.

Only few landlords who have political connections to the governor or the APC had their lands ‘regularized’. The others, especially PDP supporters, had their lands confiscated and allocated to the APC stalwarts, and Engr. Otote may have become a victim of this victimization scheme nicknamed ‘regularization’.

Engr. Otote is one of the several victims of the scheme. The APC deputy governor candidate, former Majority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly and current member representing Etsako Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Mr. Philip Shaibu, was allocated the land belonging to Engr Otote who pleaded with Shuaibu to leave his land for him but Shuaibu refused.

Left with no other option, Engr Ewi Otote has contacted a lawyer, L.O. Okhionkpamwonyi, Esq., to help him write an appeal to the outgoing governor of Edo State and close friend of Shuaibu, Adams Oshiomhole.

Through a letter dated 2nd of August 2016, exclusively available to Urhokpota Reporters, Engr. Ewi Otote of No. D11A, Aideyan Avenue, GRA, Benin City requested that the Edo State governor should come to his aide by stopping Philip Shuaibu from taking over, trespassing or interfering with his property.

Engr Otote reminded the governor of his words at the inception of his administration where the governor stated that whoever take the land belonging to another person in Edo state was “insensitive, grossly abused their offices and showed wickedness against harmless people”.

Meanwhile, according to the letter by Engr Otote, they are continuing with the regularization process and at the same time contemplating exploring all legal avenues to protect their land upon which they have active hitherto undisturbed occupation and possession.

Meanwhile, another Benin family, from the Emokpae lineage of Benin Kingdom, who has a plot of land measuring 50ft by 100ft at Airport road, has similar bitter story to tell.

Shaibu is alleged to have also collected their plot of land, a family inheritance by Airport road. He claimed that the land was allocated to him by the government. The owner of the land, formerly an APC supporter, lives in Europe and did not know when everything happened against his interest in the land.

When the overseas-staying landlord was informed, he sent emissaries to Shaibu to ask him not to take over his land. But Shaibu was said to have called his bluff. However as the nomination for the APC gubernatorial election drew near, Shaibu, in other to avoid controversy, has paid the sum of five hundred thousand naira (N500,000) into a first bank account of a family member to plead with the family not to go public with the story.

But, as usual, Urhokpota Reporters was able to lay hold of the detail of the transactions, including a copy of the evidence of transfer. We would publish them including more damaging evidence if the story is ever challenged. The family has refused to accept the N500,000 in lieu of their land and they are set to go to court to ask Philip Shuaibu to desist from trespassing their land.

In a related development, the new Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Mr. Joseph Ugheoke, has allegedly been involved in series of land grabbing in Benin City.

According to a petition sent to the governor of Edo State, Mr. Ugheoke is accused of allocating plots of lands to himself in Iyekogba, Ikpoba Hill and many orher places in Benin City, using “fake or pseudo names”.


Source: urhokpotareporters

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