In the whispering corridors of our land tribunals and the sun-baked streets of Lagos, the hold of a good land title is like a poet’s final stanza: it preserves legacy, it commands respect. Many believe that once the money changes hands, the land truly becomes theirs. But too often, the papers are hollow echoes, the promises fragile. Buyers from estate firms, from secondary sellers, from omo onile—they all risk being deafened by silence when the law demands proof. Understand your documents deeply: C of O, deeds, gazettes—and the cases where courts spoke loudest. Know them, lest your title become a ghost story.
The Certificate of Occupancy, the deed of assignment, the gazette notice—these are not mere formalities. The Land Use Act of 1978 set the foundation: land in each state held in trust by the Governor, citizens granted right of occupancy. But that right is never free from challenge. A C of O is prima facie evidence of that right, but not the last word—its power lies in how it was granted, whether conditions were met, whether any defect in process still lingers. A deed of assignment passes interest—it shows who sold to whom—but it must be properly signed, registered, consented, and free from hidden claims. And a gazetted notice can mark revocation, expropriation or reservation—it may come quietly, but its legal weight echoes loudly.
Real lives bear the scars of missing clarity. An estate developer may show you a survey, talk of an approved layout, yet fail to produce the governor’s consent for subdivision. Secondary sellers often rely on global C of O held by developers, selling plots not yet carved out in the registry. I have heard of cases where people paid in full but discovered later that the estate had no official approval. In Ibadan, the Olohunde family case—Sunmonu Olohunde & Anor v. Professor S. K. Adeyoju (2000) LLJR-SC—exposed what happens when buyer’s proof of root of title is weak. Olohunde claimed land via several transfers and a statutory right of occupancy but failed to satisfactorily establish how the earlier owners obtained the land before the Land Use Act came into force, or whether the path of title was clean. The Supreme Court reminded that a plaintiff must prove ownership by his own strong case, not merely the weakness of the opponent’s.
Your title document should sing your ownership, not whisper doubts. Don’t let flashy signs, adverts or internet images lead you astray. Ask questions. Demand consents.
Another case, Savannah Bank of Nigeria Ltd. v. Ammel O. Ajilo (1989) SC, clarified yet again that even when land is “deemed” under section 34 of the Land Use Act, any alienation—sale, mortgage, or assignment—requires the Governor’s consent under section 22. Without that, a deed of mortgage was held null and void. That case taught generations that statutory compliance is not negotiable.
Buyers in Lagos estates must ask: does this estate have a valid and registered Certificate of Occupancy? Has the developer obtained governor’s consent for all parceling and resale? Do deeds show chain of ownership all the way back? Is the original grant valid under the Land Use Act or has someone’s interest been overridden by a gazette notice or statutory acquisition? If any one of those steps is missing, your dream plot may become a courtroom relic.
Also safeguard yourself by engaging a licensed surveyor to verify boundary lines, obtaining certified registry searches for outstanding litigation or charge, ensuring that ground rent has been paid and development conditions met. Always insist that the deed includes governor’s consent, that your name appears in registry entries, and that copies of all documents—C of O, deed(s), survey plan—are kept safely with backups. Many buyers lose not because the law was against them, but because papers were lost, deeds were unregistered or promises were verbal.
In Gabari v. Ilori (2003) and Ayodele Ilori & Ors v. Alhaja Risikat Ishola & Anor (2018) LLJR-SC, courts confronted disputes where children or heirs challenged assignments made in the name of developers or third parties. They held that just because someone occupies, or even builds, does not mean their title is beyond challenge, especially when wills, assignments or title deeds are either absent or defective.
Your title document should sing your ownership, not whisper doubts. Don’t let flashy signs, adverts or internet images lead you astray. Ask questions. Demand consents. Search registries. Engage lawyers. Hold deeds, obtain C of O, ensure survey plans are correct, ensure no pending gazette or revocation. Because when disputes erupt, it is not your emotion or your payments that the court listens to; it is your documents, your chain of compulsory titles, your proof of compliance.
In the end, the land is not just soil. It is history, promise, prosperity. Guard your title like your legacy’s final stanza. When your documents are strong, your claim is unshakeable. When they are toothless, even the mightiest land becomes ash in the wind. May your title stand firm, may your ownership be spoken loudly, may your heir inherit peace, not conflict.
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