The residents around Egbira Central Mosque Okene in Kogi state have called on Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo to call to order the Ohinoyi of Egbira land, His Royal Highness Alh Ahmed Tijani Mohammed Anaje, Director General of Government House, Alhaji Shaibu Oricha and Deputy Chief Imam of the Central Mosque, Alhaji AbdulKudus, for allegedly using the name of the government to perpetuate land grabbing in Okene.
In a marathon meeting held in the palace of His Royal Highness Ahmed Tijani Mohammed Anaje, the Ohinoyi told the residents how the government of Kogi state is planning to take over the properties around the Mosque for its expansion.
Shaibu Oricha, the Director General of Government House, threatened that there is no room to reject the proposal from government, as the government is capable of forcefully ejecting all residents.
One of the residents, Momohjimoh Suleiman, said some of the houses that are around the mosque are older than the mosque.
According to him, some of their parents donated parts of their land to the mosque.
He said Alhaji Adamu Attah, the former governor of Kwara state, equally donated the land belonging to his mother to the mosque when there was need for an expansion.
He said there is no official communication to families of the residents from Kogi state government at the moment, all what they kept telling them is that government is going to eject everybody from the place.
Momohjimoh said if government is interested in taking over a property belonging to an individual, a roundtable discussion is involved, but using verbal communication for the residents could be tantamount to land grabbing.
Chairman of the residents association, AbdulKareem Sadiq, who spoke to our correspondent, confirmed the development.
They appeal to the governor Ododo to call them to order, saying, their actions are capable of tarnishing the image of his administration.