The Edo Geographic Information Service (Edo GIS) has dismissed reports alleging that a 17-year-old boy purchased 14,000 hectares of land in the state, describing the story as false and misleading. A viral post had claimed that Governor Monday Okpebholo halted the issuance of Certificates of Occupancy following the alleged discovery.
However, in a statement issued on Monday by its Director of Press, Tunde Egbiremonlen, the agency clarified that no such transaction exists in its records, stressing that a 17-year-old is legally a minor and therefore ineligible to own or register land in Edo State.
“The Edo GIS system automatically rejects land registration applications from minors,” Egbiremonlen said, adding that the claim failed to specify the location of the purported 14,000 hectares. He urged the public to disregard the false report, which he said was being spread by individuals who allegedly funded misinformation campaigns. Governor Okpebholo has recently embarked on reforms in land administration, including terminating a contract with a private firm previously responsible for managing the Certificates of Occupancy software.
