The Central Equatoria State Ministry of Housing, Lands and Public Utilities on Friday warned the public against dealing with landgrabbers who are illegally allotting land, especially in Juba County, and conning unsuspecting people of large sums of money.
Addressing a press conference in Juba, David Morbe Aquilino, Central Equatoria’s Minister of Housing, Land and Public Utilities, said criminal landgrabbers have heightened their activities in areas on the outskirts of Juba City and payams of Juba County, claiming to be government officials allocating land.
He said the affected areas include Garbor in Mangala Payam on the eastern bank of the River Nile, Kabo South in Luri Payam, Lokonyo Village, also known as Matangai, and Dorodo Village in Rajaf Payam, and Molbur village in Ladu Payam.
The minister cautioned and informed the public against dealing with what he termed criminals, saying that the state government is not part of the illegal land allocations.
“These people are using forged papers, and they say they have permission from the state lands ministry to distribute land. However, we have found that this is a criminal group and they are working under the name of the government,” he stated. “We are here at the ministry, and we are informing the people that the activities that are taking place there are not allowed. We have not given them any authority to distribute the land or to take money from people. They are distributing land, claiming that they were authorised by the government, but we are not part of it.”
“We are strongly warning any citizen living in Juba, and in the areas around Juba, in Juba County, not to deal with these criminals and illegal people because they have collected a lot of money from innocent people,” Minister Morbe added.