DO YOU KNOW YOU CANNOT CHANGE OR CORRECT YOUR NAME BY SWEARING TO AN AFFIDAVIT AND PUBLISHING "CHANGE OF NAME" IN A NEWSPAPER?

The Position of the Law in the recently decided case of PDP v. DEGI-EREMIENYO (2021) NWLR 1781 @ p. 274, is that, you cannot change your name by swearing to an Affidavit and Publishing "change of name" in a newspaper. The most appropriate way is by a Deed poll,
a Deed poll is a type of deed to be prepared by a lawyer for execution by the person that want to change name and thereafter proceed to the Nigerian Civil Registry to have it registered and published in an official gazette, its then you have legitimately changed your name and can use it to back up your other documents including land title documents issued on your former name.

Some property owners for one reason or the other have had course to change their names and all recent documents are on their current names while previous documents including their property/land title documents on their former names armed with with only sworn affidavit or newspaper publication or both as proofs. Meanwhile, these are not enough in the eyes of the law to buttress change of name.

Knowledge is key, information is power and experience very paramount. I've had course to advise a client to back of a property purchase because the acclaimed children of the deceased owner could only provide sworn affidavit to back up spotted name difference on the title document.

The intending buyer had fallen in love with the property that he requested for further research into the title only to discover that the affidavit was sworn after the demise of the property owner. So, things are happening and therefore property buyers and investors should be more careful and engage knowledgeable cum experienced realtors in the buying process. Do not adopt I can do it by myself, it could be dangerous.

However, you may click on either of the links below to join our facebook group to read more relevant topics on land/property related matters.
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You can talk to us if you wish to engage our services for the following:

1. Property Sale, Purchase, Letting, Leasing or management.
2. Perfection of Title Documents such as processing of C of O, Governor's Consent etc.
3. Land Title Search
4. Processing Development Approval
5. Valuation of Property as proof of home tie for Visa application.

Please contact +2348032296562, +2348117949689 (whatsapp only) +2349049045703 or send us an e-mail at a2realmartoptions@gmail.com.

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