The 1st thing u need to do before buying any property is to consult a lawyer. The lawyer goes to the lands bureau to search to ascertain whether the assignor has a genuine title to the property & also to know if the property is free from all encumbraces or not. If the land is under Government aquisition, or there is a legal suit in a court on related to the land, the lawyer is most likely going to advice you not to buy it. If the lawyer is satisfied that the land is free from all problems & that the assignor has the legal title, he'll okay the transaction. The lawyer to the assignor will prepare the deed of assignment which will be signed by both the assignor & the assignee, in the presence of their witnesses, who are also required  to sign. A receipt will also be issued to the assignee. If it is a family land,amily receipt must be given as well. The next thing is for the assignee to instruct the lawyer to get the Governor's consent & certificate of occupancy for him. If the land is under Government aquisition, Ratification of the land is necessary. By ratifying the land, the buyer is 'buying' the land from the government. Its necessary for the assignee to get the C of O of the land because in case of any legal tussle, the person with the C of O always has a better chance of winning. The importance of Governor's consent cannot be over emphasised. Without it, you are not permitted to build on the land. For further information contact OKANU CHINENYE & ASSOCIATES. 17c MARINE ROAD, BY LAGOON HOSPITAL, APAPA G.R.A, APAPA, LAGOS. E-mail address okanulaw@yahoo.com. Phone nos: 07069482961, 08126273116. Remain blessed!