The Delta state government says a 2-year jail term awaits anyone caught collecting development levies or any form of fee from public or private land developers in the state.

Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, director-general, Delta state orientation and communications bureau, gave the warning in a statement made available to journalists on Saturday in Asaba.

He said the state law, which criminalised the collection of any form of development levies or fees at construction sites, either by members of the community development committee, association or community leaders, remained in force.

He said there was a need for community leaders and residents to obey the subsisting law cited as the “Public and Private Properties Protection Law, 2018.”

He said that several complaints of exploitation received by the Bureau were a pointer to the fact that some community leaders and their associations terrorise private property developers in the state.

He recalled that the State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, presided over the passage of the bill when he was speaker of the State House of Assembly.

He said the bill was subsequently signed into law in 2018 by the immediate past governor, Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa.

According to Mr Oghenesivbe, the communities use brute force and coercive strategies to collect all kinds of levies and fees ranging from N200,000 to over N1,000,000 depending on the location and size of the building structure.

He said those who wilfully, deliberately and unknowingly violate the law shall be prosecuted, and such an individual or group of persons risks a two-year or five-year jail term upon conviction.

He also said that Mr Oborevwori, in an interview with a BBC correspondent in 2023, clearly stated that collection of any form of levy in Delta had been outlawed.

“The governor said that no individual, community leader or traditional institution is permitted to collect development levies or fees from land developers, either public or private sector.

Mr Oghenesivbe assured that the governor would continue to work round the clock to provide mega infrastructure across the three senatorial districts and attract local and foreign investors.

He, however, appealed to community leaders and stakeholders not to discourage investors from bringing development to their communities, towns and villages through illegal fees already prohibited by law.

He quoted the law as prohibiting forceful entry, assault on construction workers/landowners, or trespassing construction sites without lawful authorisation by the site or building owner as illegal and must be avoided.

“Unlawful collection of foundation digging fee, building materials and other unscrupulous acts or conduct by members of a community development committee or association should be stopped forthwith to avoid running against subsisting state laws in force,” he said.

(NAN)