Date: 2017-08-29

Kwara Harmony Holdings on Tuesday paid N1.5m out of the N3.7m million as compensation to owners of 25 hectares of customary lands acquired by the State Government 11 years ago.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 25 hectares of land was acquired for the cultivation of grains at Ogbondoroko, in the Asa Local Government area of the state.

Presenting the cheque to the representatives of the customary land owners in Ilorin, the Director-General of the Bureau of Lands, Alhaji Ibrahim Salman, expressed government's apologies for the delay in the payment of the compensation.

He attributed the delay to the transfer of the acquired land to the various Ministries in the state, before the Kwara Harmony Holdings acquired it in 2013.

Salman assured the land owners that the Kwara Harmony Holdings will pay the outstanding balance of N1.7m within two months.

Responding on behalf of the customary land owners, Alhaji Usman Olosun, appealed to the state government to find another piece of land for the erection of a mosque and a Quranic school which have been demolished on the land.