The Edo State Government has uncovered and sealed off a brothel illegally operating within Ujuele Primary School in Esan West Local Government Area.
According to The PUNCH, the State Coordinator for the Protection of Government Property, Eugene Okolosie, described the discovery as alarming and unacceptable.
“A lot of government properties have been encroached upon. The most affected are our public schools,” Okolosie said. “In Ujuele Primary School, they built a brothel inside the school. We have sealed the brothel, and some of these properties will be converted. We are presently discussing this peculiar issue with the governor.”
He also disclosed similar encroachments in the Iyoba community in Orhionmwon Local Government Area, where part of a school’s land was allegedly sold by community members to private individuals, who went on to build kitchens adjacent to classrooms.
“How will students learn with the aroma of stew getting into the classroom?” Okolosie asked. “That again is being investigated, and those suspected to be involved have been invited.”
According to him, over 3,000 petitions have been received from residents about illegal occupation of public properties in just two months. He noted that the agency has so far recovered 2,000 plots of encroached land.
“At Ambrose Alli University, we have recovered plots of land from land grabbers,” he said. “The community came to inform us that land grabbers forged their signatures. We moved into action and recovered about 90 per cent of the land back, including lands belonging to schools.”
Okolosie also revealed that more than 150,000 houses across the state are built on government land. He advised citizens to seek clearance from the Edo Geographic Information Service before acquiring land to avoid being defrauded by land grabbers.
He commended Governor Monday Okpebholo for providing legal backing to the agency, which has strengthened efforts to prosecute offenders.