The Oyo State Government has launched a crackdown on unauthorized private estate developers operating in violation of state regulations.
The Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Akin-Funmilayo Williams, led an enforcement team on Wednesday to several estates along the Akinyele–Iseyin Road in Ibadan.
Williams expressed concern over the rising number of developers undertaking site clearing and construction without the requisite approvals from the ministry. He warned that such illegal developments pose serious risks to orderly urban growth, environmental safety, and the effective implementation of the state’s physical development policies.
According to him, many of the defaulting developers are unknown to the government and have no traceable addresses beyond radio advertisements.
He added that several complaints of illegal land transactions had been traced to these unregistered developers, stressing the need to regulate their activities to prevent land-grabbing and related crises.
Williams said the enforcement exercise aims to curb indiscriminate development and strengthen the ministry’s authority in regulating land use and urban planning.
He directed affected estate owners and developers to regularize their titles and planning approvals within three days of receiving a contravention notice to avoid sanctions under the Town and Country Planning Laws and Regulations.
