The traditional ruler of the Uzi-Amizi autonomous community in Olokoro, Umuahia South LGA of Abia State, Eze Cyril Ogbenna, has raised an alarm over the increasing activities of fake land agents who disguise themselves as genuine land owners to defraud buyers.
The monarch, who raised the alarm while speaking to journalists in his palace, said that the ugly situation is creating tension in his community.
“My palace has suddenly turned to a customary court where people whose lands were criminally sold come to lodge their complaints.
“Selling of lands even without the attention or knowledge of the genuine owners is on the increase, and the buyers do not care to do a proper investigation of the land and property before paying millions into the hands of these so-called land agents,” the 83-year-old traditional ruler lamented.
Eze Ogbenna lamented that criminals are parading themselves as land agents to sell and resell people’s plots of land without the knowledge and consent of the genuine owners.
He called upon the Abia State Ministry of Lands and Housing as well as the Umuahia Capital DevelopmentAuthority, UCDA, to intervene in the matter by ensuring that all property agents in the state are registered and to fish out criminals among the agents.