When i bought my first land from an Omonile some years back i was totally naive about the ways and customs involved in buying a land in Lagos. I thought it was a straight cash and carry business and that was it. Little did i know my pockets would be further drained by so many mundane local fees that should make the Tax office jealous.   The more i protested, the more the unexpected and unplanned fees kept coming till i almost regretted buying that bloody land when i wasn’t ready. Back then, i had no one to educate me…

A Land With No Will?   What happens when you intend to buy a land or property but you later discover that the original Owner of the Property has died without writing a will and has left a host of children, wives, extended relatives or close friends behind that are all interested the property as the new owners? Who then has the capacity to sell that property to you?   Well this is a regular occurrence as regards the issue of the sale of landed properties of a deceased more especially in Lagos and Ogun State and this has led…

It has finally happened. I have been warning Nigerians especially the good folks of Ogun State living at home and abroad for years to stop buying bad lands with questionable issues and Government amenities surrounding it and I have been brushed aside as a doomsday sayer now the chicken has come home to roost.   The Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has decided to demolish all the Houses in Ogun State built under High Tension Cables and right of way. Continue reading

Omonile Signing Fees Again?   One of the greatest Scourges associated with buying an Omonile land is this dreadful affliction called “OMONILE SIGNING FEES to sign a Deed of Assignment” so as to drain the pockets of buyers. Nothing inflicts a greater pain and evokes more emotions as much as this topic when it comes to buying Land in Lagos or Ogun State.   These Omoniles have devised a method to establish an alternative Land taxation system whereby they do everything possible to grab as much as they want financially from a prospective buyer.   They invent all sorts of stupid,…

A Survey plan is a document that measures the boundary of a parcel of land to give an accurate measurement and description of that land. The people that handle survey issues are Surveyors and they are regulated by the office of the Surveyor general in Lagos as it relates to survey issues in Lagos.   A survey plan must contain the following information: 1. The name of the owner of the land surveyed 2. The Address or description of the land surveyed 3. The size of the land surveyed 4. The drawn out portion of the land survey and mapped…

For a while now, i have waged a relentless war against fraudulent land sellers called Omoniles especially in those in Lagos and have tried to expose all their deceitful practices to dupe people off their hard earned money.   But today I’m going to change course to raise awareness on another way people are being duped concerning landed issues and this particular  kind of Land Scam is dedicated to our Brothers and Sisters Abroad slaving themselves to send money back home to their family members to help them purchase a land or build houses on their behalf only to finally come…

The Answer to the above question can be deduced from this True Story and please read carefully so that you learn from this issue:   Short Story…   A friend of mine from my University days decided to buy a land at Aboru around the Iyana paja side of Lagos and they were selling the land to him for around N1.8Million or so. Now he had N1 Million in cash and was so desperate to get a land.   So he contacted an agent who introduced him to the Seller and the Baale of that area. They told him that…

QUESTION   I AM INTERESTED IN BUYING IN A LAND NOW IN LAGOS, WHAT STEPS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO PROTECT MYSELF FROM FALLING VICTIM TO LAND FRAUDSTERS AND GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS?     ANSWER   Follow these simple steps judiciously:   1a. Visit the land personally after you have signified interest to buy the land from the Agent. Never buy a land without viewing it yourself or through your trusted representatives. It’s your land so you must know what you want to buy.   1b. If your abroad make sure it’s someone you trust that has no vested interest in that…

“The Above Picture is an Omonile lying through his teeth trying to deceive us that he is the Baale of that Eleko Community and all the lands there were under his care. He showed us a forged Baale i.d card,Community receipts, royal stamps and a Copy of the Eleko Village  Survey Plan  and Gazette.   He even took us to a small palace and convinced us to pay to him. Upon strenuous investigation, we found out that he was a Vulcanizer and not even from that community! Abeg Shine your eyes ooo”     How many of you that have…

I get a lot of emails from prospective buyers asking me how to avoid buying defective lands from Omoniles in Lagos and Ogun States that they are about to pay for and steps to take to avoid being victims of these Land Swindlers.   Unfortunately, there is no clear cut textbook template on how to prevent land fraudsters from duping you because each land transaction has its own peculiar issue that must be studied dutifully with rapt attention to avoid being scammed.   So pay attention to these 8 quick hidden signs that a prospective buyer must pay special interest…

Okun Ajah used to be one of my favourite areas in Lagos for Investors to buy lands because of its whispering palms and beautiful beach view.   It is surrounded by some upcoming estates, Abraham Adesanya estate and Lekki Scheme 2 as its illustrious neighbours but it has of late become a hot bed of loads of land scams of unbelievable proportions. The Omoniles there are shamelessly re-selling people’s lands without any fear or remorse.   If they see that you own a land there and you haven’t developed it within 1 month or more, they would immediately auction your…

ANSWER   To be honest this is a very tricky question but from my experience I would say NO. Because we live in a society where land fraud is very prevalent. It’s even more difficult to proceed with a land investigation when the Owner isn’t available talk less of paying money to someone you cannot ascertain.   Follow these steps… But if you are still determined to still go ahead with the transaction make sure you follow these tips so you won’t be defrauded:   A. Continue to pester the agent or the seller why can’t he come over to…

Do you know there are so many hidden Charges and taxes that you must pay when buying  a land that could bankrupt you easily if your not careful?   These taxes hide in plain sight and it is until you want to perfect your papers it will rear its ugly head. I have compiled a list of  4 Problematic fees that your not aware of and the earlier you start taking cognizance of it, the better:     4 Problematic fees that your not aware of   1. Everybody wants to buy a land with a C of O but…

So many Academicians, Lawyers and Intellectuals have tried to define what a Governor’s Consent is and they end up confusing simple minded men like me with their Big Big Grammar, so am going to attempt to do the impossible by breaking its meaning down and how it operates under the law.   A simple formula to follow is this. The first person on a Virgin Land that has neither been occupied by another person nor under acquisition by the Government is entitled to get a Certificate of Occupancy on that land.   If that person with the C of O…

Almost every day, it seems I am sorting out one Omonile Land purchase problem gone badly. From investigating the true Owner(s) of the alleged land down to verifying the authenticity of the documents presented by the seller, taking matters into your own hands  can sometimes result in disasters financially or you the seller getting duped because you are too ignorant on how to spot Red Flags that should make you abandon that transaction.   To this end I have listed my 5 tips on 5 Costly Land Purchase Mistakes You are making that would lead to you getting Defrauded.  …