Activities of landguards are criminal – Lawyer calls for swift action

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Land law and human rights lawyer, Felix Ntorso, has condemned the activities of landguards, labelling them as criminal acts that warrant immediate action.

Mr Ntorso highlighted the responsibility of citizens in allowing the growth of landguards’ activities, even when legal channels such as the courts exist to settle land disputes.

“The citizens have inadvertently allowed the flourishing of landguards’ activities by consistently engaging their services, disregarding the availability of the legal system to address land matters. While the courts may sometimes contribute to delays, it is crucial to acknowledge that no judge willingly desires a backlog of land cases. The litigants themselves bear the brunt of the ensuing chaos,” he said.

Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s morning show Dwaso Nsem, Wednesday, Mr Ntorso argued that the newly enacted land laws were enacted precisely to curtail such criminal activities.

He noted that despite courts issuing injunctions on certain lands, these property were still being sold to unsuspecting buyers, forcing people to resort to employing landguards to protect their interests—a practice he deemed detrimental to a healthy land governance system.

“It is imperative to treat landguards as criminals due to the illegal nature of their activities and their behaviour. This is a delicate situation, and the law must play a pivotal role in resolving such issues. Those involved in such activities should be charged accordingly, as prescribed by the law.”

Mr Ntorso’s comments come after the Chief Director of the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources, Prof Patrick Agbesinyale, made shocking revelations during a Parliamentary Committee meeting on July 10, 2023.

Mr Agbesinyale disclosed that the government, in a controversial move, had been utilising landguards to avoid potential backlash and unrest in certain land reclamation projects.

As compensation for their services, the government had reportedly allocated portions of the reclaimed lands to the landguards.

But Mr Ntorso called on the police service to actively address the escalating land issues, as unresolved disputes often escalated into violence.

He stressed the importance of law enforcement agencies taking swift action in dealing with land-related crimes and attending to citizens’ concerns.

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