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What to do if you have been sold a fraudulent property in Lagos

What to Do if You’ve Been Sold a Fraudulent Property in Lagos

Introduction You thought you were making a smart investment, but now you’re standing in the middle of a nightmare. The deed in your hand is worthless, and the property isn’t yours. Imagine the moment you realize that the property you’ve just poured your hard-earned money into is nothing more than a scam and you’re the latest victim. The excitement of owning land or a house has been replaced with the crushing realization that you’ve been conned, all because you didn’t verify.   The Immediate Shock  The first thing that hits you is a wave of anger and shame. How could you have...

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Don’t Be Blinded by a “Perfect House for Sale Deal”! Uncover the Truth with Omonilelawyer

Is Your Dream Lagos Home a Nightmare in Disguise? Protect Yourself from Real Estate Scams   Imagine finding the perfect property: stunning, spacious, and seemingly the answer to all your dreams. But pause before you sign on the dotted line and pop the champagne. Could this seemingly perfect deal be hiding a dark secret?   The harsh reality is, that real estate scams in Lagos are more common than you think. Unscrupulous individuals prey on unsuspecting buyers, leaving them with financial ruin and broken dreams. Don't become another victim.   The Stakes are High:   [mkd_unordered_list style="circle" animate="yes" font_weight=""] Lost Investment: Imagine pouring your hard-earned savings into a property...

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Ibeju Lekki Real Estate Company scams over 500 people without allocating a single plot to any buyer

Angry Subscribers storm Lagos Real Estate Company

Over 500 people have been defrauded ₦8,000,000 each by a Real Estate Company at Abijo after selling wayo lands to them in 2021 and have not allocated a single plot to any of their subscribers.   Angry subscribers stormed the office of Peace waters a real estate company that sold lands to many subscribers at Abijo without giving them any allocation despite the continuous promises to conduct allocation to its subscribers.   The subscribers wanted a refund of their money since they realized the lands they bought were "One Chance" lands but the directors and developers had disappeared into thin air leaving only the...

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Why you won’t be forgiven by your kids if you buy land in Lagos without verifying it

Your children would look at you angrily

Your Children would not forgive you if you use their school fees/inheritance to buy a piece of land without verifying it.   Nobody would hear that an Agent pushed you or that you were promised to make a quick profit if you resell it in 6 months' time.   Once you make the mistake to buy land without exercising caution, common sense, and patience to investigate that land you intend to buy, your money would just turn to Sahara for nothing.   There would be no quick refund, there would be endless quarrels and fighting at police stations, there would be no peace of mind at...

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Think You Are Too Smart To Fall for Real Estate Scams? Read These True Stories.

This is a section that deals with true land and property scam stories perpetrated by Real-life Land Scammers. It gives you the opportunity to read about these dubious property thieves and how far they would go to defraud and scam you if you don't conduct due diligence. Here are some land scam articles you might be interested in and I hope you learn from them and realise there are so many wicked people dreaming day and night on how to swindle you off your life savings once you refuse to examine and investigate them properly. They include Pastors, Grandmothers, 80-year-Old...

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10 Most Dubious Places To Buy a land in Ibeju Lekki-Shine your eyes o!

In the last 4 years, I have seen so many property buyers suffer the pains of being scammed by Land fraudsters. These land fraudsters have so many tricks up their sleeve to dupe innocent land purchasers ranging from showing the buyer other people’s lands that do not belong to them or presenting forged or fake title documents to deceive and coerce them into buying problematic lands.     With this in mind, Omonile Lawyer presents to you our Top 10 Unsafe Lands to buy. These lands have been carefully selected after a series of pain-staking background checks carried out by the Omonile Lawyer...

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How Babatunde Almost lost N45Million to a Fake Identity C of O Scam

Like a scene in one of these dumb Nollywood movies which we never really expect it to happen in real life, I came across one of the most elaborate hoaxes to defraud a client. Mr Babatunde through his agents was able to locate a property he was desirous of purchasing at Alapere Ketu Lagos.     After inspecting the property the agent now told him that it was a safe property to buy because it had a C of O. Mr Babatunde then decided to contact me to conduct a background check on the property and C of O. My team swung into...

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The 10 Riskiest and Most Fraudulent Places to buy a Land In Lagos

This land is not for sale
Welcome to Omonile Lawyer’s LIST OF RISKY AND DANGEROUS LANDS TO BUY , a section that gives you a rundown of some of the Worst Areas, Estates, Places and dubious Lands offered for Sale in Lagos State today that will surely guarantee you to lose your money and incur the Wrath of the Lagos State Government for buying a Land that is not supposed to be sold. Today’s set of Unsafe Lands to buy have been carefully chosen after a series of strenuous Land Individual Investigation, Verification and Background  Checks carried out by the Omonile Lawyer Team. They include the following:

What is a Deed of Assignment and the Foolish Risk your taking for not having a Deed of Assignment for your Land

A deed of Assignment is one of the most important documents YOU MUST HAVE when you conclude a Land Transaction. In fact it baffles me that 6 out of 10 people I know who have bought lands in the past have no deed of assignment. They are always the first to complain that Omonile has defrauded them but they have no proof to show the property has been sold to them other than a receipt.     It’s funny that everyone has the title documents to their car showing who the seller was and how it was transferred from the Seller of that car to you the new owner but when it comes to landed properties which are 10 times more valuable than cars, we fail to ask for this one simple important document that can prove ownership of that land. What then is this all important deed of Assignment I am alluding to? This can be found from the following definitions below:     A deed of Assignment is an Agreement between the Seller of a Land or Property and a Buyer of that Land or property showing evidence that the Seller has transferred all his rights, his title, his interest and ownership of that land to that the Seller that has just bought land.     The Deed of Assignment acts a main document between the buyer and seller to show proof of ownership in favour of the seller. The person or Seller who transfers his rights or interests in that property is usually called the Assignor and the person who receives such right or interest from the Seller is called the Assignee.     A Deed of Assignment therefore is an Agreement where an assignor states his promise that from the date of the assignment or any date stipulated therein, the assignor assigns his ownership in that Land to the assignee. The deed contains very pertinent information for a real estate transaction. For one, it spells out the date when the ownership of the property transfers from one owner to the other. The deed also gives a specific description of the property that is included in the transfer of ownership.    
Signing a Deed of Assignment and having that Deed is your number 1 evidence against another person that is trying to claim ownership of that same land too. If you have a land and no deed yet, i feel sorry for you! Better consult your Lawyer to go draft one for you now to save yourself future problems

Signing a Deed of Assignment and having that Deed is your number 1 evidence against another person that is trying to claim ownership of that same land too. If you have a land and no deed yet, i feel sorry for you! Better consult your Lawyer to go draft one for you now to save yourself future problems

The 10 Commandments Of Buying A Land In Lagos

Everyday thousands of Nigerians at home and abroad hope to buy lands in Nigeria more especially in popular cities such as Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Abeokuta, Ibadan etc. Yet a common reoccurring theme that filters through their minds is how to safeguard their money, so that they won’t be duped by Land Fraudsters or lose their Lands to the Government.   Coupled with the terrifying stories that normally accompany the smooth transfer of these lands because of the prevalent nature of Land Scam artists and dubious Real Estate companies that specialize in defrauding prospective land purchasers.   With this in mind, Omonile Lawyer has drawn up 10 Land Purchasing Commandments for any Prospective new Land Buyer that must be strictly followed by anyone who intends to purchase a property in Nigeria more especially in Lagos so as to prevent Land fraudsters from duping them off their hard earned money and losing their lands to Unscrupulous people and they include the following:

How to Regularize or Ratify that your Land Under Government Acquisition so that it won’t be DemolishedIf you have bought lands from Omonile in the past that do not have either

If you have bought lands from Omonile in the past that do not have either a ( C/O) or a Gazette in the following areas Ikeja, Opebi, Ogudu, Gbagada, Oregun, Surulere, Anthony, Obanikoro, Adekunle Village.Isolo, Okota, Ilasamaja, Ijeshatedo, Ojota, Bariga, Iju, Olowora, Isheri, Shangisha, Oworonsoki and environs, Ojo, Ikotun, Egbe, Ejigbo, Shasha, Akowonjo, Okokomaiko, Owode Onirin, Idimu, Egbeda and environs.Ayobo, Ipaja, Igando, Alagbado, Mebamu, Ajangbadi and environs, Ikorodu, Badagry Axis, Lekki Axis (Eti-Osa to Abijo), Ibeju Lekki to Epe & Epe Town and you haven’t been able to get a proper document for your land, I have good and bad news for you.   The Bad news is that the Omonile has scammed you to sell lands that belong to the government and masked it as their own family lands hereby making you part with your money illegally and freely to them without any proper title because they didn’t have any land to give and sell in the first place.   The Good news it that the Lagos state government has decided not to demolish such houses or revoke those lands that has been encroached on by Purchasers of this Bad Lands from Omonile and instead will grant title to such Purchasers. This would afford those who unintentionally bought government acquired land from Omonile or land Scammers the opportunity to regularize their titles and thereby obtain Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) through a process called Ratification  Popularly Referred to as ‘RAT or RATI’ ( Now referred to as Regularization).    

 Now what really is Ratification or Land Regularization in Lagos state?

Know what a Gazette is and its Importance when Buying Land

What is a Gazette?

  A Gazette is the most bastardized word Land Sellers have peddled around to Purchasers and its the most confusing document that non-land experts have heard and know absolutely nothing about. They neither know what it looks like nor its perceived advantages or disadvantages.   Even why it is one of the most important document you must be connected to unless your home could be demolished in future for it not being associated with it. Now before we talk about what a Gazette is, we have to Know what an Excision is and how they are both connected.

MAIL TIME: OMONILE LAWYER ANSWERS ALL YOUR QUESTIONS

Arising Land Scam Questions

My mail box is filled with thousands of mails regarding Land related issues Omonile Lawyer readers are facing and i would attempt to answer most of them. Majority of these questions consists of  land purchases gone bad , lands bought without  due diligence, people asking me to recommend good lands for them to buy.   Lands that are devoid of wahala or just simply steps to take before they purchase a new land so that they won't fall victim of Land scam artists. Some cases are serious, some pitiful, some down right hilarious and some frightening. Lets take a sneak peek into some of these questions and proffer solutions to them. ( Some names and location have been changed to protect the readers)    

Land scam question 1

"Sir, I bought plots of land at Ilamija, Lekki – Epe Express in 2011. Last year, another family came up and removed the signboard that I erected and in last two weeks he sold my land to another person. He did not take into consideration my corner piece, my receipt, the Deed of assignment and land information certificate in process that am having whit me. Pls help me out sir...Kunle"  
Above is Baba Dodo a notorious Land Con Artist and well known Omonile that operates within the Ibeju Lekki and Free Trade Zone Axis. He specializes in reselling other people's lands. He once sold the land where his late wife was buried without the consent of his children. If you see him and his type run. These are the type of people that should make you conduct a Land Verification exercise before you lose Millions of Naira because they specialize in stealing other people's land and reselling it to unsuspecting buyers and when wahala comes, they would disappear leaving you with no money or Land.

Above is Baba Dodo a notorious Land Con Artist and well known Omonile that operates within the Ibeju Lekki and Free Trade Zone Axis. He and his fellow Land Scam Artists pictured here, specialize in reselling other people's lands. He once sold the land where his late wife was buried without the consent of his children 3 months after she was buried. If you see him and his ilk run!!! These are the type of people that should make you conduct a Land Verification exercise before you lose Millions of Naira because they specialize in stealing other people's land to resell it to unsuspecting buyers and when wahala comes, they would disappear leaving you with no money or Land.

   

ANSWER

This is a clear case of Omoniles stealing lands. Its very rampant especially in the Lekki, Ibeju Lekki, Ajah, Ikorodu, Simawa & Samagu Areas where a person buys land validly  from a particular Family or Owner and later on a new set of Family members within the same community feigns ignorance of the sale because they were not carried along or renumerated out of the proceeds of the sale.   Their response to this issue is to conduct a lot  of illegal activities to forcefully obtain the land from the true owner through the use of violence, mental subjugation, threat to life and excessive demand of money from the owner to repay for the land. Experience has taught me that the people who came to remove the signboard on your land are very much aware of the initial sale to you by the previous seller.   They normally pretend as if they don't know what is happening until money has exchanged hands before they step in and prevent you from working. Its an old Omonile scam i refer to as "Good Cop Bad Cop". The first thing you should do is

PROS AND CONS OF BUYING AN OMONILE LAND OR INTO A REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS ESTATE

The truth about land scams

  The rate of land scams in Lagos, Ogun, Port Harcourt and Abuja is getting extremely alarming and buyers these days are so weary of falling victim to Evil people parading as Land owners but in reality the land they claim to own and intend to sell belongs to somebody else.   Property buyers are so confused as to the type of property they intend to purchase because the system is so rotten coupled with the problems that accompany living in a rented apartment . Buyers have become extremely desperate to own lands not minding the cost, location or documentation issues that might arise thereby making these Land fraudsters get  bolder to defraud people.   It now begs the question what kind of land is better to buy? An omonile land or buying into an Estate. Both of them have their own advantages and quirks but I would try my best to differentiate them to the best of my knowledge :

Why You Must Take Possession Of Your Land Immediately You Pay

One of the gravest mistakes Land purchasers make when they buy a Land in Lagos or Ogun is lack of planning to take possession of the land they paid a hefty sum for. We get emotionally attached to the location, the seller and the cost of the land  without considering the fact that this is Lagos or Ogun.   Where these wicked and Dangerous Land Fraudsters have no ounce of Human sympathy when it comes to defrauding innocent land buyers because we fail to take the first and most important step which is securing the land.   75% of land cases can be traced to trespass on empty virgin lands because the buyer has happily bought the land but intend to fence or commence work on the land at a later date. These evil Land Swindlers secretly patrol these vacant lands and once they see a land without any form of protection, they immediately work out modalities with their hence men to market and re sell the land to other unsuspecting buyers who would easily believe the land is a virgin land.    

Word of Advice

Personally i have lost 3 lands in the past because i wasn't buoyant enough to both buy a land and fence it at the same time and i hoped the land would still be waiting for me after 4 months of purchase but three times consecutively my lands were re-sold to different people and it put me at odds with these trespassers for years.   With this in mind, i would advise you on the steps to take to take possession immediately so you don't suffer the same fates i experienced.

What if Omoniles have actually stolen your Land and have Resold it to another person who has started building? What can you do to prove ownership?

What to ask yourself?

  What if you are already a victim of Omonile and you have already being been defrauded off the land you saved Millions of Naira to purchase or you just discovered that your land has been sold to 2 or more people, or the documents that you possess concerning the title to that land has been discovered to be forged or fraudulent, or you have left your land unattended to after you bought it and the day you decide to go and clear the grass you see another person has started foundation work on your land or even the land you bought legally with no complains at all and when you begin work, your workers call you that somebody has brought some thugs to pursue your workers claiming true ownership of the land and the person is banding around an old purchase receipt given to him by the family head he bought from in 1978 etc? How do you solve this mind destabilizing issue instantly and beat these dubious criminals in their own game?

Shine Your Eyes and Know the Full Cost of Buying an Omonile Land before you go Bankrupt

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 about the perils of buying a land without knowing the fees involved and now that i know, its my pleasure to share them freely with you so that you don't blow a hole in your pocket like me.     So please take note of the following costs below:   a. Full sized cost of the plot of land: It’s imperative to know the true cost of the land from your Agent even before you go and see the land. Don’t assume the price will arbitrarily drop because you’re putting pressure on them to sell, rather you will be shocked that these Omoniles will increase the price of the Land when they see your desperate.   They will come up will all sorts of  eye brow raising excuses to push you to buy it quickly. My favorite all time Nonsensical skin crawling excuses that never seem to get old include the following:

THE EVILS OF BUYING A DECEASED LAND WITH NO WILL

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 to a lot of lawsuits, pain, false claims of ownership, family battles of the land of the deceased, loss of money etc.   So many buyers have had their fingers burnt buying lands or properties from people who claim to be the authorized representatives of the deceased only to later find out that they have bought that land from the wrong representative.     Examples of how that problematic land that you are about to buy left behind by a deceased who did not give instruction as to who owns the land can affect you and wreck you financially if you don’t watch out for these scenarios include the following:

YEE PAA!!! OGUN STATE SET TO DEMOLISH THOUSANDS OF HOUSES. IS YOUR HOUSE ONE OF THEM?

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.

Who Else Wants to Know How to Avoid Paying the Dreaded Omonile Signing Fees?

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, idiotic and devilish fees to scare the buyer and make it mandatory to pay these fees no matter how absurd it sounds. Truth of the matter is that it’s nothing short of a day light robbery to frustrate a buyer for their own selfish means.   These fees they coerce buyers to shell out end up in the pockets of Village Chiefs or influential members of the community to expend for their own selfish gain. They use the money to drink Ogogoro, settle outstanding debts or marry new wives.   The enlightened ones amongst them see this as a get rich quick avenue to buy new clothes, buy flashy cars to pose around town, wear swanky clothes and generally show their mates they have arrived. This stirs up some form of jealousy in the other communities and they quickly set up a committee to draft a higher price list that should cripple the buyer financially who is interested in buying a land in their community.

Why a Survey Plan Search is most Essential Land Check you must carry out before you buy a land

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 out on the survey plan document

5. The beacon numbers

6. The surveyor who drew up the survey plan and the date it was drawn up

7. A stamp showing the land is either free from Government acquisition or not.

 
A Sample copy of a Survey Plan and the features it should have before you carry a search on that land

A Sample copy of a Survey Plan and the features it should have before you carry a search on that land

 

How To Make Sure Money You Send From Abroad To Buy A Land Doesn’t Get Embezzled by Family members or Friends you trust

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 back home to see that the money they have sent back home has either being squandered stupidly, spent recklessly and the money has being used to develop THEIR OWN PROPERTY INSTEAD OF YOURS or simply that the Money has vanished into Thin Air.   In most situations where this family embezzlement has occurred, there neither will be no land purchased by the family member that was sent money to help buy the land.   Even if the land was purchased, no due diligence was carried out as per se as to validate the authenticity of the land or the description of the land given to the person abroad is totally different from what has been purchased.   I have heard cries of people coming home to see lands that have being purchased for them located inside the bush that is only fit for Monkeys to occupy. Some complain that their families buy extremely water logged lands that will make them spend so much money to sand fill.   I have also heard of the ones that those kind of lands that the Omoniles will continue to drain the pockets of the person due to silly community fees that they are not conversant about until they give up the land.   My favourite is always hearing stories of lands purchased by a family member that they cannot locate afterwards and the buyer is going about holding a receipt of a land that he cannot verify.

Next Mail: What are the Pros and Cons of Paying for a land through Installments? What’s your advice so i don’t get Defrauded like my Friends doing it who are still complaining?

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 he could pay the N1 Million and balance the remaining N800,000 within 3 months.   He was very happy with the arrangement and paid the N1 Million asking price. The following month he brought N350,000 so as to remain a balance N450,000.  To his surprise 2 days after he had paid the N350,000 he began to hear  stories that the baale said the land was sold too cheaply and it ought to have been sold for N2.5Million instead of N1.8Million and that the family members have been complaining seriously about it.   He was in shocked and rushed to beg the baale to honour his agreement and after several quarrels and persuasion the baale finally agreed to settle for N2Million. He brought the other N450,000 to make it N1.8Million and promised to bring the remaining N200,000 soon so that they will give him a receipt for final payment.

MAIL TIME : “I Am Interested in Buying a Land in Lagos, What Steps should be taken to protect myself from falling Victim to Land Fraudsters?”

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 land that you should send to look at it for you on your behalf.   Try as much as possible to avoid close family members or friends that would still benefit from the transaction in some way such as someone that you would be sending money through his account continuously or someone that would be supplying blocks or could collude with the sellers to make a profit off you.   1c. Also try to make the agent  take pictures of the place or land before you visit the land so that when your back home you can compare and contrast what you have seen  through pictures and what you have seen personally or via pictures .

The Other People have bought Lands here or The Baale is the Owner of the Land so no Wahala Land Scams

"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 either bought lands or intending to buy lands have heard this famous Omonile or Agent soundbite ‘ A LOT OF BIG PEOPLE HAVE BOUGHT LAND HERE’ or ‘ SO MANY BIG GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAVE THEIR LANDS HERE’ or ‘ SHELL OR MTN COOPERATIVE HAVE BOUGHT SO MANY HECTARES OF LAND HERE FOR THEIR STAFF etc   Naturally when you hear something like this, you feel very comfortable and you want to buy a land because they tell you that your proposed neighbor is a staff of chevron or probably the special adviser to the commissioner has 3 lands here or has built his house there and has perfected his papers, but there is a problem with this statement!   How come they haven’t shown you any of the so called big men that bought lands there or contacted with you with Etisalat Cooperative head that bought the so called lands for their staffs or shown you the documents that the Government Official that bought lands there has perfected?   ( All na story story to coerce you to pay for the land without due diligence)

Do You Recognize the 8 Early Warning Signs of Buying a Defective and Problematic Land?

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 to before you buy a defective or problematic land in Lagos or Ogun State.      

8 early warning signs of defective lands

  1. Watch out for that Seller who wants to sell you a land but it has no previous original documents to show u to prove how he purchased the land from the Former owner.   Such a Seller will continue to bring up excuses with regards to how he misplaced the documents and how he has nothing else to give you except photocopies of one survey plan that is barely visible.

Beware of Buying Land in this Area! Case Study #1: OKUN AJAH

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 land to the highest bidder. The number of law suits in that area is so bewildering these days that its so mind boggling to comprehend.   They forge signatures, collude with the different families to resell people's land and extort exorbitant Signing fees from potential buyers who have no idea that they are buying other people's lands.   To make matters worse, they resell every part of Okun Ajah despite the fact that they are not suppose to sell lands that are 80 meters close to the beach because it falls under the Ministry of Water Infrastructure and Tourism Ministry.   They simply don't care. Most of the lands don't even have a proper lay out and you see the omoniles just pointing to lands that do not belong to them as lands that their families own despite the fact that it has a global C of O.   The worst one is that some of these lands sit on the  proposed coastal road coming all the way from the East to lagos and these land fraudsters knowingly sell these lands to unsuspecting buyers who are not aware of this ticking time bomb.   They collude with dubious Surveyors and Agents to help them sell these bad lands and once you discover the malaise, you can never recover your money from themexcept you take them to court.  
Okun Ajah Omoniles Patroling the area to see which land they can pass off as their on to resell to unsuspecting Buyers

Okun Ajah Omoniles Patroling the area to see which land they can pass off as their on to resell to unsuspecting Buyers

 

MORE MAIL: I am Interested in Buying a Land but i have been told that the Owner of the Land isnt Around and is based Abroad. Do i still Proceed with the Transaction without meeting him?

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 conclude a transaction? If he is receiving close to N2Million or more and his plane ticket isn’t more than N250,000, why can’t he come down to Nigeria for a day or 2 to identify himself and pick up his check?

4 Types of Deadly Land Taxes that Could Bankrupt you if your not Aware of them before you buy land

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 do you know that every owner of a C of O must pay a yearly fee per annum to the government for occupying that land. This fee is know as a GROUND RENT and it has a certain fee that holder must pay.   For every year the person defaults in paying that GROUND RENT, the person incurs a penalty. But because of our very lax tax system, the holders of that C of O rarely pay that amount and in most situation, they are totally ignorant of the fees they are to pay.   The problem now arises when a new buyer is interested in buying that Land with a C of O. If you don't do a comprehensive check on that C of O, you will never know that your about to INHERIT SOMEONE ELSE'S DEBTS at once.   The Land registry Tax department will compute the Ground rent from inception that the C of O was obtained, compute the penalties , value it at today's inflationary rates and give it to you before you can process your Governors Consent.   That is why the cost of Governor's consent is so high in some people's case because they don't know that they are carrying the load and problems of other people's taxes as their own burden.

Governor’s Consent finally explained in a Simple manner and Why you must register a Governor’s consent

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 decides to sell his land to another person after so many years, that person must now obtain the Consent of the Governor before that transaction can be deemed legal in the eyes of the Government. If the new buyer now decides to sell the land again to a third owner in future, that Third owner must also obtain a new Consent of the Governor before that transaction can be deemed legal in the eyes of the Government and the process continues every time the property changes hands to a new buyer.   In other words, the first person on a land is the only person or group of persons entitled to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy. Every subsequent buyer of that land must get a Governor’s consent. There can only be one (1) Owner of the Certificate of Occupancy on that Land and it will not be replicated for another person once the land has been sold or transferred to another person.   The powers of the Governor to Consent to such transactions can be found in Section 22. Of the LAND USE ACT 1978 as amended which states thus:  “It shall not be lawful for the holder of a statutory right of occupancy granted by the  Governor to alienate his right of occupancy or any part thereof by assignment, mortgage, transfer of possession, sublease or otherwise howsoever without the consent of the Governor first had and obtained”   With this power, the Governor has the right to grant consent to any transaction which it thinks has not contravened any Law of the land and if the consent has been obtained fraudulently, the Governor is entitled to revoke such consent immediately.   It is very important for a purchaser of land to perfect his or her document by obtaining a Governors consent so as to have a complete rest of mind. Although its good to buy a land that already has a Global C of O or the Land has a Gazette, it still doesn’t give you the full satisfaction that you own the land without any form of fear or intrusion by the Omoniles. Your documents have not been perfected and the consent of the Governor to that transaction has not been obtained.   It’s because of this situation whereby the Omoniles know that purchasers of land do not want to spend money to get their Governors Consent that they will begin to resell people’s lands to multiple buyers because they know it’s only the purchaser that perfects his title by obtaining the Governors consent that can lay claim to that land validly in the eyes of the law.   That’s why I encourage people who buy lands to immediately start the process of obtaining Governors consent after they have bought a land and a Deed of Assignment has been drawn up. Delay has been shown to be very fatal and we should learn from the past experiences of others who have fallen victim to this situation.    

Disadvantages and Problems of Getting a Governors Consent

Obtaining a Governors Consent from the Land Bureau isn’t the easiest thing to get quickly despite the importance attached to it and urgency needed to secure a land from Omoniles.   On the Government website, it is stated that a Governors Consent can be obtained in 30 days but that has proven to be very untrue due to unscrupulous civil servants who would do everything to frustrate the process of obtaining the document without giving them huge kickbacks.   A Governors consent that should cost N200,000 naturally could end up costing N600,000 Due to kickbacks, Egunje, Bribes, P.R etc and that 30 days could translate to 6months or a Year depending on how you sort your P.R well.   All in all, a Governors Consent is a very good document to obtain and I advise you to get it so as to free yourself from Omoniles 100%. An advantage of having a Governor’s consent is that you can transfer your land to another person without going to the Omoniles or Family Baale to sign your deed and Form 1c which are compulsory requirements needed before you can process a Governors consent.   The Omoniles pray seriously for the Owner not to have a Governors consent so that they can make a lot of money running into their Thousands when ever the Owner require the signatures of the family to start the Governors consent.   It’s even very tough now for Land Buyers because a major requirement by the government now is that you must Obtain a Governors consent before you obtain a building plan approval. If it takes 6months to a year before they get their Consent. When will the person now get his approval?   Stepping aside the criticism of those in charge of processing the C of O, You should try as much as possible to get a Governors Consent for all your genuine lands so as to eliminate Omoniles completely and live a straight forward life devoid of Omonile wahala.    

The Features of Governors Consent must contain the Following

  1. The Form 1c must be signed by the Omonile traditional Family that has either a Gazette or Global C/O or in the case of an Individual that has a private C of O granted to him by the Governor
This Form 1 C is a prelude to registering a Governors Consent. It must be signed in the prescence of a Lawyer so as to guide both you and the seller unless any slightest error on the form will be queried

This Form 1 C is a prelude to registering a Governors Consent. It must be signed in the prescence of a Lawyer so as to guide both you and the seller unless any slightest error on the form will be queried

    2. A Deed of Assignment must be prepared by the Buyers lawyer who must include the parties to the transaction, the cost of the land, size of the land description of the land, the copy of the survey attached to it and signature of all the parties and witnesses to the transaction.

5 Very Expensive and Costly Land Purchase Mistakes in Lagos To Avoid

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.

 

1.  ONCE YOU BUY THE LAND YOU MUST FENCE IT “NOW NOW” SYNDROME

 

Once the Seller of a Land begins to sing into your ears that the moment you purchase the land, you must start fencing it immediately, know that you’re probably about to buy a stolen land that belongs to someone else.

 

Why would he be so frightened to sell a land that he claims belongs to him and still push you to fence it immediately so that other land speculators or Omoniles would not encroach on it?

Why i would Never Endorse Instalment Payment for An Omonile Owned Land! God Forbid!!!

I always ask myself this question, "What document or title do you get after you pay part payment for a land especially an Omonile owned land that the Omonile has probably sold to 3 or 4 people?"   Before you say you don’t have money and would like to buy an Omonile land in installments because it will suit your finances, think of the following questions I have posed below and if your still convinced that you foresee no problems arising, then I wish you the very best of luck dealing with an Omonile Seller of Land and paying him your Life savings in Installments.    

General Land Instalment Payment  WAEC Questions you Should please Answer for me!

How to Avoid Land Fraud in Lagos and Ogun States

Recently Omonile Lawyer was contracted by a Client to carry out a Land Verification Search at Ogidan within the Sangotedo environs of Ibeju Lekki. The Client was very suspicious of the sugar coated incentives that was emanating from the mouth of the Agent.   The Agent stated that the Land was very close to the Lagos Business school Lekki and the purported Seller was a Lecturer in the School and had his intergrity to protect. He said because of the status of the Seller and choice location of the Land, the Seller was only willing to sell the land for N8Million and not a penny less.   When the Client demanded for the documents the land had, the Agent bluntly refused to give out the details of the documents and stated that it was until the Buyer was ready to pay for the land before the documents would be released. With this in mind, the Client invited us to take over the search before his N8Million developed wings to distant lands unknown.   The moment we got in touch with the Agent via phone, we could sense his hostility and he refused to give our surveyor access into the land to carry an onsite inspection to determine the coordinates of the land.   He just took us to one heavily padlocked fenced land and pointed to it as the land that belonged to the Lecturer. We now demanded for the documents to verify that the land belongs to the seller and he said it had a Governors Consent and he reluctantly gave us only the Consent number which we crossed checked at the Land Registry at Alausa.   But we couldn't tell which land was described in the Governor's consent and the land he was showing us because he didn't give us access to compare the coordinates.

What Everybody Ought to Know About the New Lagos Electronic Certificate of Occupancy ( e-CofO)

For almost 4 years Lagosians have been waiting to catch a glimpse of the New Lagos Electronic Certificate of Occupancy (e- C of O) to replace the old Bulky Yellow one in circulation that could easily be cloned.   I am happy to say omonilelawyer.com has finally obtained a copy of the new E-C of O and we are very excited with what we have seen. Here is an Exclusive first Look of all the New Features and additions to make the new Electronic Certificate of Occupancy more Secure and Fraud proof.  

The main thing about this new E-C of O is that it is no longer a huge and bogus Yellow Document that looks like this:

A LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT RESIDENTIAL CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY

AN OLD LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT  CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY

  It now comes in the form of a simple deed of assignment or contract that is binded so as to make it very easy to carry around and more aesthestically pleasing. This new E-C of O comes with the following features:

Don’t Buy any Land at Ayobo For Now ooo!!! Lagos State Government is Warning Everybody

A caveat emptor has been placed on land in Ayobo in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State, according to the Permanent Secretary, Lands Bureau, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola.   Muri-Okunola spoke in his office, urging the public to be wary of individuals, families, traditional rulers and communities who sell government acquired land in the area.   He said the land covering 455.76 hectares in Ayobo was acquired by the state government, by virtue of its Official Gazette No 15 Volume 34 of May 5, 2001, adding that it was named Ayobo Residential Scheme.

The Land For Sale that is Under Government Acquisition Omonile Land Scam

This Scam is very rampant especially in Rural Lagos such as in areas like Alimosho, Epe, Egbe, Ikotun, Ifako, Alakukuo, Iba, Iyana paja, Ikorodu, Igbogbo, Ayobo, Badagry and some areas in Ibeju Lekki etc.  
This kind of Land Scam can be traced to some of the Projects that past Lagos State Governors have set aside to be executed in future. For example proposed bridges, schools, government housing schemes, museums, pottery villages, cemeteries or buildings of national or state importance and have allocated hectares of land for this huge projects from these communities.  
At times the government uses its power to take these lands off these communities based on certain reasons best known to them but in almost all these situations they compensate the community they took these lands from and warn them to stay clear off these lands.   Well we all know the way things work in Nigeria. The government might acquire these hectares of Land but information about the location of the land might be very sketchy and they might not even fence it.   But being a Government land it has been recorded in their system and whenever a new administration decides it’s time to look into that project as a priority they will go and acquire their lands but one thing the Government always does, is to put various sign boards around warning people that the land has been acquired by the government and trespassers should beware of the land.   But this is what these Land Scammers would do next:  
1. They will monitor for months the frequency of government officials that come around to view the lands if they are still secure and wait till the visits become less regular.   2. They will now send their boys to go and remove the signboards at night one by one so that you won’t know where the government land starts or ends.   3. They begin to parade and patrol these areas as owners of the land and claim it belongs to their community.

Why it is very Dangerous to buy a Family Partitioned Land without Knowing All the True Joint Owners

One of the most dangerous lands to buy without investigating  its roots, is a family land owned by many children and also known as a PARTITIONED LAND. In fact 50% of land trespass cases I am aware of, deals directly with partitioned land matters.  
A land that has been willed to 2 or more children means it’s a land jointly owned by all the children and that piece and or parcel of land cannot be transferred or sold to another person without the consent of the other member or members of the family.  
Any land sold that does not involve the signatories and approval of ALL the other member or members of the family,  makes that sale null and void legally. It leads to the purchaser losing both his money and land when the other members of the family  appear out of no where to lay claim to the land.   In fact the ploy here is to make the buyer end up paying more money for the land he/she has bought without the consent of the other members and make him/her extremely frustrated. There are so many scams  and styles involved in deceiving the purchaser but I will just run through the most common land partitioning scams for you to beware of and prevent yourself from being a victim.

The Dos and Don’ts of Sponsoring a Survey in a Virgin Omonile Owned Land and How to become an Instant Millionaire as a Land Speculator

A lot of people have called me over the years to give my opinion on this new trend which is Sponsoring the Survey of Virgin Lands owned by Omoniles and i have reserved my comments so as to study it up close and personal before i deliver my verdict on it and this Finally is my own opinion about it.    

WHAT IS A SPONSORED SURVEY IN A VIRGIN OMONILE OWNED LAND?

  This is a process whereby Traditional Family owners of Land (Omoniles) who do not have the financial resources to map out their territorial boundaries to carve out their own portion of land given to them by their forefathers or descendants.   They seek out people who have the monetary or financial muscle to assist them in sponsoring the cost of surveying the whole land that the Traditional Families claim to own and in exchange for that Sponsorship, a certain portion of the lands sponsored will be given to that sponsor to do as he or she pleases.   The sponsor plays a big role in promoting the status of community and is very well compensated for all his troubles. It is a very popular way Land buyers own multitude of lands in Lagos and Ogun but it comes with a catch and below are some of  the pros and cons of sponsoring a Survey Plan if you decide to Venture into it in the nearest future.

Lagos State Proposes 21 Years Jail Term for Land Swindlers and to ban Omonile Foundation and Roofing Fees

Hard times await Omoniles in Lagos who intend to defraud people off their lands by selling innocent buyers other people's lands and demanding foundation fees violently. I would attempt to break down the proposed law in a very simplified manner so as to know what this law stipulates and how to use it to your advantage against those bastards selling other people's lands.   The Lagos State House of Assembly,is proposing a 21 years imprisonment for anyone convicted of land grabbing. The bill stipulates that anyone who sells land to another person knowing that such a land belongs to a third party commits an offence and is liable to 21 years imprisonment upon conviction.   1. OMONILE LAWYER'S SIMPLE EXPLANATION HERE IS THAT, IF YOU SELL ANOTHER PERSON'S LAND THAT DOESN'T BELONG TO YOU EITHER KNOWINGLY OR UNKNOWINGLY, YOU ARE GOING TO JAIL FOR 21 YEARS; SO DON'T ATTEMPT TO SELL A LAND THAT DOES NOT BELONG TO YOU PERSONALLY.   In the bill titled Law to Prohibit Forceful Entry and Occupation of Landed Properties, Violent and Fraudulent Conducts in Relation to Landed Properties in Lagos State, the lawmakers also proposed 10 years for any owner of a landed property who uses violence to seek repossession of his property.   The proposed law, which underwent public hearing on Wednesday 22nd of January 2014 stipulates that as from the commencement of the law, a person or group of persons are prohibited from using force to take over any landed property in the state.   “Any person or group of persons who, having used force to take over a landed property in the state…after the commencement of this law, commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a prison term of 21 years,” states Section 2, subsection 1 of the 17-section bill.  
No more room for these Violent Rapscallions to invade other people’s land forcefully to resell them. They risk a 21 year jail term

No more room for these Violent Rapscallions to invade other people’s land forcefully to resell them. They risk a 21 year jail term

    2. OMONILE LAWYER'S SIMPLE EXPLANATION HERE IS THAT, IF YOU BELIEVE SOMEBODY HAS TAKEN OVER YOUR LAND AND YOU USE AREA BOYS OR POLICE TO FORCEFULLY REMOVE THAT ALLEGED TRESPASSER FROM THE LAND YOU ARE LIABLE TO GO TO JAIL FOR 21 YEARS. LEARN TO USE THE LEGAL REMEDIES AVAILABLE TO YOU. THIS LAW IS DIRECTED MOSTLY TO OMONILES THAT TAKE OVER PEOPLE'S LANDS FORCEFULLY. PLEASE DON'T BE PART OF THEM.

5 Things I wish I knew before I stupidly Bought and Lost my First Land

Before i became an Expert in Land Verification, i was also once a Victim of Omonile Land Scams and i made so many mistakes prior to purchasing my first land back then which i eventually lost to Omoniles and could not recover because i was clueless about the intricacies of buying a land and the hidden problems that it accompanies .   Back then i assumed buying a land was like buying a car. All you need to do is locate the car you are interested in, meet the seller, inspect the car, pay the seller and drive away with your car but i was totally wrong. Buying a Land in Lagos or Ogun for a first time buyer is an arduous task that requires prayers, patience, skill and intuition.   Here are some of the mistakes i made which i hope you learn from not to make when your about to purchase yours in future:

Why You should never buy a Land in Surulere, Onike, Aguda, Yaba, Ebutte Metta or Ogudu from Omoniles without Certified Lagos State Documents

There is a popular scam going on in Lagos especially in Surulere, Onike, Aguda, Yaba, Ebutte Metta and in some instances in Ogudu where Agents or Land Speculators will show you empty lands in the midst of fully built up Houses and pass it up as lands being owned by Family members that have the right to sell these lands.   My fellow Omonile Lawyer readers, please be warned, this is not true and there is not a chance in Hell that these Omonile Family members are the real owners of these lands.   First and foremost you should know that these areas belong to what is now referred to as "OLD LAGOS" where most of these colonial masters settled in Lagos and the industrial expansion of Lagos Started from these areas and most of these listed areas mention above from way back have REAL OWNERS who derived proper C of Os or have Old deeds of Assignment and have  perfected their stamp duty fees on it hereby giving the  REAL OWNER a proper legal title to the land which has been recognized and has been duly registered at the Land Registry.

Beware of buying lands at Badore in Ajah without doing a search unless your House will be demolished for being too close to the Proposed 4th Mainland Bridge

 If you intend to buy a property in Addo/ Badore Ajah Estates at Ajah Eti-Osa local Government, please don't waste my time and yours. 85% of those lands / Estates there are under government acquisition and are Committed Areas.  Lagos state government has acquired over 300 Hectares of Land in that place and that’s approximately almost 5000 plots.   Anyone who has bought there or is intending to buy there that falls within that Committed Area is just wasting his/her time living in fear of demolition or whatever the government decides to do in that place. Nobody in those committed Areas will be able to get their C of O  or  Governor’s Consent and anyone telling you otherwise is lying.   I will not entertain searches emanating from those areas anymore and i don't need your search money because its getting frustratingly annoying. I am tired of going to the Survey General's office and hearing the same thing that it is a problematic area. Buyers Beware:   The 300 hectares I am talking of here are lands that are very close to the proposed 4th Mainland Bridge. For crying out loud, do you want to build a house close to a major bridge? Any house obstructing the creation of that bridge will be demolished with no remorse or compensation from the government.  
Ultimately it will lead to a massive demolition of those properties that are located within those 300 hectares of land that are under acquisition and committed and Omoniles will not refund any part of the money they collected that will lead those this impending demolition in future. Be wise and avoid places that are under acquistion or committed by doing a proper land search!

Ultimately it will lead to a massive demolition of those properties that are located within those 300 hectares of land that are under acquisition and committed and Omoniles will not refund any part of the money they collected that will lead those this impending demolition in future. Be wise and avoid places that are under acquisition or committed by doing a proper land search!

  I have heard so much lies and false rumors about the Government relocating the 4th Mainland bridge because of these Estates there. How will they know?

A Classic Example of Why Some Land Buyers Are the Cause of their Own Land Scam Wahalas

As much as i point my fingers and lay the blame solely on Omoniles and Land swindlers as rotten apples that should be done away with so that land scams in Lagos will be a thing of the past, some Land purchasers are just as bad as these Omoniles when they make self inflicted terrible mistakes leading up to the purchase of a very deficient land.   Today i got a phone call from a guy  who had just been scammed and who decided to take the "self service and I- too- know Route" in purchasing a land and begged me to advise him on what next he should do.   He stated that he saw a land advertised on the Internet and decided to call the Agent. The land in question is located in an Estate in Lekki-Ajah and the Agent apparently intimated him about  about the supposedly owner, the description of the land and likely documents plus the cost of the land which was N7Million.   He did not visit the land himself, neither did he inspect the documents nor know who the true owner was but was contented with what the Agent told him. He ended up paying the N7Million into the Agent's account who later claimed he paid the alleged owners the N7Million after which they allotted him the land he was interested in.   He wasn't given any documents as proof of payment or purchase and he also didn't meet the alleged owners but was happy that he had finally purchased a land an estate in Ajah without using a Lawyer or third party and saving Legal Fees.

Learn How to Calculate Your Governor’s Consent Yourself

Latest Rules and Requirements to get  and Calculate Your Governor's Consent yourself. They are extremely Strict on it so be alert and follow every requirement and complete payment unless Big Query.   I just came back from the land registry and it was quite tedious to get all these information but it's worth sharing because the number of people that i saw that their jobs were queried and money lost due to bad or mishandling of the process is quite shocking and pitiful because money is hard to come by.   So be very careful when you want to do yours and make sure you get everything complete before you venture into it. These people at the Land Registry at take their money upfront for everything after the calculation so be very meticulous and aware with the costs and requirements:   So get your Pens, Paper and Calculator and Start Calculating Diligently: ( P:S: These are rough estimates of the likely cost and its just and educative article to give you an idea of what it cost but its in no way reflective of what the true estimate that will emanate from the Land Registry when they give you your final Assessment for your Governor's consent. Please note this)     They include the following:
1. Get 4 copies of the deed of Assignment   2. 4 copies of the survey plan. (The survey plan must be attached to each of the deed of Assignment)

Beware of the-We have a Court Judgment-Omonile Land Scam

In fact I can’t count how many people have fallen for this type of Land Scam in Lagos. The general rule is that if there is a dispute on a land, the best way to solve a problem is by going to court. The court now gives a judgment on the land and depending on the dispute at hand, the case might go to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court and it might take years before judgement is given in their favor.   Now Swindling Omoniles have also devised a method of duping unsuspecting buyers of land by brandishing Court judgments in their favour to show that they own title to land and with that judgment they can sell the land without any fear or favour.   Purchasers glance through the judgment and they see the heading ‘IN THE HIGH COURT OF LAGOS STATE LAGOS DIVISION’ etc and see court stamps and signature of a judge plus the date of the judgment and conclude instantly that the land is a good land and they buy it based on that judgment they have seen.   A few months later they see another court process circulating around that the land is under dispute at the Appeal court and Mr X Y Z is the true owner of the land based on the Appeal court decision. The Buyer runs mad, begins to run here and there to clarify what this new judgment means .   While the Omoniles of the land would have either disappeared into thin air or start speaking gibberish to convince you that they will take the case to court or settle out of court but your money is gone and you’re wondering what the hell has just happened.

How to Confirm Your Land is a Good or Bad Land in 3 Easy Steps

This article is dedicated to the Millions of Nigerians who have bought lands in Lagos but are still living under the fear and Ignorance of knowing whether the Lands they have bought years back from Omoniles is a valid land that is free from Government Acquisition and Wahala.   All you have to do is follow this 3 easy steps to confirm whether the land is good or bad:   1. Get a copy of Your Survey Plan. If you don't have a Survey Plan, please endeavor to do one now at this stage. A Survey Plan should look like this:  
The Survey Plan must contain the name of the Owner of the Site, The Size of the Land, description of the land and the date the survey plan was made

The Survey Plan must contain the name of the Owner of the Site, The Size of the Land, description of the land and the date the survey plan was made. If Your Survey Plan does not have the "Free from Acquisition Stamp" on it please be very worried.

  After you have obtained the Survey plan, you should now give it to your Property Lawyer experienced in Land Matters that you trust or a reliable Independent Surveyor different from the Surveyor that did it to lodge a copy of this survey plan in the SURVEYOR GENERAL'S OFFICE so as to obtain a LAND INFORMATION CERTIFICATE.

Why You Should Never Buy a Land that has a Power of Attorney as its Main Source of DerivingTitle

One of the reasons we see so many cases in court with respect to Land Disputes can be traced to this very Powerful but dangerous Document called a Power of Attorney or P.O.A.  A Power of Attorney is a written document given by Party A to Party B to carry out certain functions on behalf of that Party A within a specified period. Such functions and powers granted to Party B may include the power to sell, manage, buy, transfer, engage, refuse and administer the Property or Land of Party A till the expiration of the Power of Attorney. Unknown to most people that grant a Power of Attorney to Party B, the Power of Attorney is only to last for 12 Months Only from the date it was signed after which it must expire and must no longer be in use unless it is renewed by Party A to Party B. The rules of a Power of Attorney is Very clear and Inflexible and within that 12 Months, the holder of that Power of Attorney can do and Undo and if not properly managed. Party B can wreck havoc on the lives of Party A and those that are to benefit from the Power of Attorney directly or Indirectly.

GOVERNOR’S CONSENT FEES IN LAGOS SKY ROCKETS WITH NO HOPE OF SLOWING DOWN

Are you one of those searching for Lands for Sale in Lagos or you already have a property in Lagos but your itching to know what it entails for you to obtain a Governor's Consent  and the likely cost abi? Well get ready to empty your wallet and drain your bank account because Governor's Consent fees in Lagos no be small thing.

Ogun State set to assist Land owners who have no papers to regularise their Documents

The Ogun State Government has initiated steps to enhance infrastructural development of the state. It has introduced the Homeowners’ Charter Programme aimed at enabling homeowners regularize the legal status and documentation of their properties.   The scheme, according to a statement from the state Ministry of Urban and Physical Planning, will apart from forming an integral part of the government’s mission to rebuild the state, provide data for the medium-term planning for provision of roads, schools, hospitals and other essential services.   The statement said further that it will enable owners of properties build without government approval regularize their title documents through a window of opportunity to obtain building plan approval and certificates of occupancy. “All penalties and fees would be waived while fees are discounted to enable a large percentage of residents benefit,” it said.

Aboru and Akinola Villages in Abesan Iyana Ipaja lose Land Case to FG. Be Very Worried if you have bought Lands here

2 Major land-owning families in Lagos State have lost their battle to reclaim their acquired landed property measuring about 117.90 hectares located at Aboru and Akinola villages in Abesan, Lagos State of Nigeria and if you have bought lands in this area be very worried.   Previously the Families in the 2 Villages had sued the Federal Government for Acquiring their lands in respect of all that vast area of lands more particularly delineated, demarcated, and marked A & B in Survey Plan No. OGEK 11 a-C/74 unlawfully.   The Federal government did not serve them any notice of acquisition before they were driven away from the land and their buildings demolished, and after which, the Federal Government divided the land into plots and sold them contrary to the governments reason for the acquisition, which was for the construction of Low Cost Housing Estate and they won at the High Court sometime in 2007 but the FG decided to appeal the judgment.

A-Z of Buying a Land in Lagos on a Prudent Financial Plan and not ending up Broke Stupidly

Every day I get phone calls and emails from people stating their intention to buy lands and pleading with me for me to recommend good lands for them to buy that I think is an excellent deal and has no Omonile Wahala beseeching it but we all forget something very important that deals with buying lands in Lagos and that is the cost implications of purchasing a land.   A lot of people think if they have some amount of money set aside in a bank, that will cover all the expenses required to purchase a land in Lagos and the rest is history. But that’s where we are all wrong. Purchasing Land in Lagos is a Tough and difficult experience that requires skill, prayers, financial acumen and smartness.   Many of the abandoned Lands scattered all around Lagos boils down to lack of proper budgeting and planning and that’s why so many Omoniles have the guts and opportunity to resell other peoples lands and today I want to us to learn from the experiences I have garnered over the years on how to properly budget and plan ourselves before we venture into the process of buying a land.     1. Never buy a Land based on Emotional Reasons:   Just because your neighbor bought a Land or colleague or family member recently purchased a Land and you have that same amount of Money lying dormant somewhere, you just decided to throw it into purchasing a land without any cogent reason to do so.   You would run into a lot of futuristic problems and would be left with no choice in the nearest future but to resell it unceremoniously. You have no idea why your neighbor bought that land at that moment and what their account balance is right now compared to yours and what exactly they intend to do with that land.   Follow Follow isn’t good without any concrete plan. Make sure you buy Lands because there is a concrete reason to do so and not just for emotional buying sake.  
Learn to buy with your pockets first rather than emotional reasons. You could end up regretting it later

Learn to buy with your pockets first rather than emotional reasons. You could end up regretting it later

 

Fashola Revokes Governor’s Consent On Lekki Lands Obtained By Fraud

For years I have been warning land buyers how to shine their eyes when buying land from fraudulent Omoniles or Surveyors and why you should do a proper land investigation and use qualified professionals and in return I have been insulted by some people as a resident doom monger trying to make people panic unnecessarily.   Well am pleased to say I have been vindicated. Recently a fellow Omonile Lawyer Reader alerted me to a paid Advert in the Guardian about some plots of land illegally acquired fraudulently under Government acquisition and the survey plans drawn up fraudulently to procure Governors consent for the land.   Those Governor’s Consents have been revoked by Governor Fashola himself and the people who bought the lands have lost Millions of  Naira of their money and lands for not doing a proper land investigation and engaging fraudulent surveyors who connive with Omoniles to commit atrocities.   Surveyor Folarin is our guest property blogger today and has being kind enough to write an article about this and it's stated below. Attached here is a copy of the Revocation notice. If una like from today, don't do a proper land verification search before you buy land, we would be reading about your land revocation in the papers and title withdrawal.   All those quacks Agents shouting and advising people that you can buy land under processing or there is nothing wrong buying a land that is under acquisition or Omonile Lawyer is always talking rubbish, over to you, Fashola is ready to answer you now with the only language you understand: Demolition, Cancellation of fraudulent documents and revocation of lands fraudulently acquired.   Also most of you banding about Governors consents, gazettes, deeds of assignment, Survey plans or C/os and posing that you have genuine documents, you better go and reconfirm what your holding as genuine documents at the Land registry before we read your own revocation in City People tomorrow. A word is enough for he wise. God will not let your own be amongst them oooo! Amin                

CAN A SURVEY PLAN MAKE OR MAR YOUR PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS?

 

Well, the answer to this question is not farfetched..On 11th February, 2013 in Guardian newspapers, the Lagos State Government issued a notice of cancellation of Governor’s Consent for two properties located at Eputu village in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area.

  The cancellation published and signed by Governor Babatunde Fashola was in respect of deed of assignment between Orudu family and Fresh Field Farm Limited as well as between Eletu Family and Fresh Field Farm Limited.

House for Sale in Lagos? Read This Omonilelawyer Search Report Before You Buy

House for Sale in Lagos? Read This Omonilelawyer Search Report Before You

Search Report Location: A 4 Bedroom Duplex House for sale at Sangotedo, Ajah   Price of the Property: ₦94,000,000 ( Ninety-Four Million Naira)   Client's Request: A client approached Omonilelawyer to verify the authenticity of a property in Sangotedo, Ajah. The property was being sold by a well-known real estate developer, and the client was eager to make a quick purchase.   Omonilelawyer's Investigation: Omonilelawyer visited the site in Sangotedo and charted the coordinates of the land:   Coordinates:   X=575432, Y=715876 X=575467, Y=715842   The team inspected the documents provided by the real estate developer, including a Governor’s Consent and a payment receipt. Omonilelawyer also visited the Land Registry at Alausa and...

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How Omonilelawyer saved a Man from a ₦70 Million Naira House for Sale Scam in Ikota Lagos: An Omonilelawyer Success Story:

Omonilelawyer Success Story: How Omonilelawyer saved a Man from a ₦70 Million Naira House for Sale Scam in Ikota Lagos

Mr. Adebayo, a young and ambitious professional in Lagos, had worked tirelessly for years to save up enough money to purchase his dream home. For him, this was more than just an investment; it was the culmination of years of hard work, sacrifices, and the promise of a secure future.   After months of searching, he finally found what seemed like the perfect house in Lekki—a luxurious three-bedroom duplex in a serene environment, complete with modern amenities and close proximity to the city center.   The real estate developer he was dealing with was well-spoken and convincing, assuring Mr. Adebayo that the property was...

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How to Lose Your Life Savings in Lagos: A Guide to Common Land Scams

How to Lose Your Life Savings buying a Land or House in Lagos: Know these Common Land Scams

Lagos is a city of dreams, but it’s also a city of nightmares, especially regarding land or buying a house. Every day, unsuspecting buyers fall into the traps set by ruthless fraudsters, losing their hard-earned money and sometimes even their peace of mind.   Land and Property for sale scams in Lagos are rampant, and if you don’t know how to spot them, you could be next. Here’s a look at the most common land scams in Lagos and how to avoid becoming a victim.   1. The Non-Existent Plot of Land This is one of the oldest tricks in the book. You find...

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Lekki Land Grabs: How Developers Are Cashing Out with Fake Documents

The allure of Lekki, Lagos, has ensnared countless Nigerians in a web of deceit spun by unscrupulous property developers leading to tears, pain, loss of years-long savings and despair.   Among them are Ade and Bola, a young couple who dreamt of a serene family life in the heart of this bustling city. Their aspiration, however, was brutally shattered by the cold, hard reality of land fraud.   With hearts filled with hope and pockets brimming with life savings, Ade and Bola were captivated by the promise of a luxurious lifestyle in Lekki.   A Wayo property developer, Mr. Johnson, skillfully weaved a tapestry of lies,...

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Ngozi’s Sangotedo ₦45,000,000 Apartment Scam Nightmare Unveiled!-Learn from her Experience

Ms. Ngozi harboured dreams of finding the perfect luxury apartment. Her job had recently relocated her to the Lekki-Ajah environs, and she was eager to settle into a new chapter of her life.   Scrolling through online listings on Instagram, she stumbled upon a sleek, modern 4-bedroom apartment in an 8-unit luxury flats high-rise building in an estate near Lagos Business School Sangotedo in Eti-Osa local government area that seemed to embody everything she desired.   The real estate agent in charge, a smooth-talking individual named Ms. Ekaette, assured her it was a steal of a deal.   Emboldened by the excitement of a...

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25 Warning Signs of a Fraudulent Real Estate Company in Lagos and How to Avoid Them

This is the season of demolitions up and down Lagos and the majority of these houses pulled down were either sold by wayo real estate companies, fraudulent developers or dubious sellers. To help prevent your own house from being demolished in future, these are 25 Warning Signs to Help You Avoid falling victim to Fraudulent Real Estate Developers.   1. A Developer or Owner of a real estate company that roams around with mobile police security is a Fraudster. He has stolen people's money and cannot face them One-on-one to refund their money or land.   He is only accessible when you want to...

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How to Save your House from Demolition in Lagos

How to save your House from Demolition in Lagos

To avoid demolition of your precious house in Lagos in the future:   Stop buying lands in Lagos without a purchase receipt   Stop buying lands in Lagos without a C of O   Stop buying lands in Lagos without a Governor's Consent   Stop buying lands in Lagos without approved Lagos State Excision   Stop buying lands in Lagos without a registered survey plan   Stop buying lands in Lagos without a deed of assignment   Stop buying lands in Lagos with only a contract of sale-( It is a bad document that transfers no title to you)   Stop buying lands near canals, pipelines, high-tension wires, close to the main roads, and close to...

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Beware-A Contract of sale is not a good title. Don’t be fooled

contract of sale is not a good title

If a Land Seller tells you the only document he has is a Contract of Sale, walk away. He has no good title to pass to you.   If the Land Seller has no Deed of Assignment that shows he has fully paid for his land from the previous owner, don't buy that land. You are only jumping from frying pan to fire. He has no title on that land neither would you also.   Most Real Estate companies especially in the Ikorodu, Ibeju Lekki, and Epe axis are fond of marketing their lands to unsuspecting buyers with only a Contract of Sale. They...

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