Onyebuchi Onwuchekwa,Owerri.
The Government of Imo State has issued a stern warning to the general public against engaging in unauthorized land transactions within designated government layouts across the state.
In a public notice released by the Ministry of Lands, Survey and Physical Planning, the Honourable Commissioner, Barr. Enyinna Onuegbu, cautioned that all prospective land buyers must verify every land transaction through the ministry before proceeding, to avoid legal complications and financial loss.
The government expressed deep concern over the alarming increase in police cases and litigations linked to unverified land dealings, especially within key government layouts. The affected layouts include:3R Residential Layout, Off Onitsha Road,Housing Area TM, New Owerri, Housing Area TN, New Owerri,Unity Layout Extension, Uratta, Owerri North LGA,Ekwema (GRA) Residential Layout,Shared Prosperity Layout, Port Harcourt Road, New Owerri, Riverside Layout, Orji/Amata and New Community Layout, Okuku,Owerri West.
The statement made it unequivocally clear that no official land allocation exercise has been conducted within any of the listed layouts since the inception of the administration of His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Hope Odidika Uzodimma.
“The public is hereby warned to desist from transacting on any purported land allocation in the said layouts,” the statement read. “The Government and the Ministry of Lands, Survey and Physical Planning shall not be held liable for any act of negligence resulting in loss, litigation, or any adverse consequences suffered by land speculators or buyers.”
The ministry reiterated that all land transactions must be duly verified at the Ministry of Lands, Block 7, State Secretariat Complex, Owerri, to ensure legality and avoid falling prey to fraudsters and illegal developers.
The warning comes as part of a broader effort by the state government to sanitize the land sector and protect residents from avoidable disputes and fraudulent practices.
