Bidobado:
Everything in Nigeria comes with problems, even the simplest of things. Suffice to say, a lot of Nigerians, especially the so called educated you as of the south west who handle things like illiterate and act as street urchins e.g Omo Onile.
As I write this, my 2 and half plot of land has been resold by the Omo Onile. Nigeria is a cesspit of corruption, morally bankrupt individuals and pathological Liars.

Yes, there is so much corruption in this country. But do you know that you can recover the value of your land if you have all the necessary documents?
You can send us a personal email (ibejulekkilawyer@gmail.com) or call 08034869295 for more assistance. Visit
www. ibejulekkilawyer.com for more educative information.

kelvine:
Please I really need help here, I plan to buy a land from a particular real Estate company that builds for people.
They told me I will only see the land after I finish paying the whole fee.
They also said I will be getting the survay plan when I am ready to build using their company construction workers.
The Estate company appears to be a reputable one going by the number of offices they have home and abroad, please do you think it is alright to invest in them ?

Thank yu for the enquiry.

Due deligent is key when buying a land.

I advice clients to inspect the land, verify all title documents before paying for that land.
I have also wrtten articles on why you need a lawyer, you can learn more http://www.ibejulekkilawyer.com/why-you-need-a-lawyer-when-closing-a-land-transaction-part-1/

You can send personal email to us for more advice( ibejulekkilawyer@gmail.com )

Recently, a client called me and was complaining about his tenant who occupies a 4 bedroom detached duplex somewhere in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos. Further to his complaints, he instructed me to evict the tenant forthwith. In my view, his complaints are based on poor communication between the Landlord and Tenant. This has made me spend my weekend writing on this subject matter to educate and enlighten us on The Rights of Landlords and Tenants in Nigeria.

Everybody in Nigeria has certain privileges and rights. These rights have been conferred on individuals by the tenancy law of each state... Continue reading: http://www.ibejulekkilawyer.com/rights-of-landlords-and-tenants-in-nigeria-part-1/

The word possession in land law often coincides with ownership. Although the two words are often confused and majority of people take these words to mean the same thing but possession is not the same as ownership. Possession means having physical custody or control of a property with an intention to continuously retain the property, while ownership is the exclusive legal right to possesses something. With the help of an illustration, I will further explain the difference between ownership and possession. For instance, where there is a land purchased and owned by Mr. Adamu, squatters on such land other than Mr. Adamu are possessors. Mr. Eze using Mr. Adamu’s land for farming is in possession of Mr. Adamu’s land while Mr. Adamu remains the owner of the land. Continue reading: http://www.ibejulekkilawyer.com/possession-vs-ownership/

Most of us often hear the term, “it’s my family land” but do not know what the position of the law is on family land. It is a common knowledge that family is defined as a group of persons descending from a common ancestor and also, as a body of people connected by blood that either live together in one house or under one head.

The term family in property law has been defined as a group of persons entitled to succeed the property of a deceased family head, and they are usually the children. This is so because generally speaking, the widow is usually not considered to.... Continue reading: http://www.ibejulekkilawyer.com/sale-of-family-land-in-nigeria/

overdrive:
Educative.

Thanks

There are a number of crucial documents

1. Receipt

2. Approved survey plan

3. Approved layout

4. Power of Attorney

5. Deed of assignment

6. Certificate of Occupancy ( C of O)

I would categorize the people from which you can buy any parcel of land into three: An estate developer, an individual & directly from the family who claims to own the land. If you are dealing with an estate developer (buying within an estate), you should ask for the approved survey plan, approved layout, the power of attorney and the global C of O. If you are buying from an individual or company (one who has bought and wishes to resell), you should ask for the receipt, deed of assignment, approved survey plan and C of O.

Buying directly from the family who claims to own the land is quite tricky. This is because it is difficult to determine the true owners of the land especially when the documents showing ownership haven’t been processed.

Where the documents haven’t been processed, there are no documents to show authenticity and a prospective buyer has to really a great deal on word of mouth from the members of the community to ascertain the true owner(s) of the land in question.

When the documents have been processed, they should provide you with the approved survey plan, approved layout (where the land is a large one and is being sold on a per plot basis) and the C of O.

From my experience, families usually don’t go to the length of processing their C of O. Reason being that they hope to sell off their land in the near future thus only do the absolute minimum required to show authenticity, in this case the approved survey plan and layout, then passing it on to the buyer who would go on to perfect his/her title on the land.

NOTE: It is very important that you have a good property lawyer before embarking on land/property purchase. Reason being that your lawyer is the one who ensures that you don’t run into legal trouble with land/property documents after purchase. It’s your lawyer’s job to verify the authenticity of any title document backing the land/property.

PROPERTY SEARCH
Under the Lagos State Land Bureau:

Conducting a Search:
• Application submitted with affidavit of purpose (searches are conducted using the following criteria: – Name of Owner, Registration Particulars, Address of Property and Survey Plan.
• Letter of Authority (where applicable)
• Endorsement
• Bill for payment of Search Fees
• Tender Tellers
• Conduct Search

Work Flow for Registration of Title:
• Confirmation of all payment receipt (by Accounts Department)
• Collection of Form A13 from the Office of Registrar of Titles by Applicant – 1 day
• Duly completed Form A13 with supporting documents are submitted by Applicant to the Office of the Registrar of Titles
• A registration number & application number are issued to a certified application – 1 day
• Notice are prepared for interested parties signatures
• Reply to Notice is received and Draft Entries prepared
• An approved Notice is e-mailed /posted by registered post to applicant
• Prepared Notice are forwarded to Registrar of Titles for approval of issuance of Notice to Applicant
• Approval of Draft Entries
• Typing & Binding of Title
• Final Indexing of Title
• File is sent via the Deputy Registrar of Titles to ROT for signature
• Registered Title delivered to applicant

Work Flow for Registration of Deeds
• Submission of Application with relevant documents for registration of Deed by Applicants
• Application with accompanying documents are checked and endorsed
• Satisfied application/document are issued with registration number
• Application sent for indexing
• Applicant file is send to Deputy Registrar of Titles for signature
• File is sent to Registrar of Titles for second signature
• Registered Deed is delivered

Work Flow for Registration of Certificate of Occupancy
• Certificate of Occupancy is sent with a covering letter from LUAD to Office of Registrar of Titles
• The file is sent to the C of O room to add a file jacket to the C of O Form
• C of O is sent to the Deputy Registrar of Titles for signature
• C of O is sent to Registrar of Titles for second signature
• The details of registered C of O is entered serially in a day book
• The registered C of O is entered is a dispatch book and sent to LUAD for collection by applicants

http://www.ibejulekkilawyer.com/documents-to-ask-for-when-buying-land-anywhere-in-nigeria/

I sincerely and passionately invite legal minds to contribute to this subject matter. ‘God forbid that I alone know it all’

I am aware that property owners within Eti-Osa and Ibeju Lekki local government of Lagos State, even other parts of Lagos are in serious dispute with developers of the estate where their properties are situated. Some others have approached the court of law to interpret the terms of the Deed of Assignment which was executed at the time of the purchase of their properties. I am also aware that what happens after the 99years and the one-day reversionary interest is a major worry to property owners. This is why I have taken time to write and share my opinion(which is not conclusive) on this issue bothering what happens after 99 years.

As we all know, an issuance of a certificate of occupancy by the state Government expires after 99 years and will be due for renewal. Have you ever taken a moment to reflect on what is likely to happen to properties covered by Certificates of Occupancy after the expiry of the 99 years tenure granted by the Government? As an owner of a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) covering landed property in Nigeria, or you aim to own one or you possess a Deed of Assignment as a purchaser from a C of O owner, this thought raises very interesting questions, like: Does the Certificate of Occupancy or the Land Use Act provide for any renewal? Will the Government renew after the 99 years? If the Government refuses to renew what would happen to the improvements on the land? Now let us assume that the Government shall at the expiry of 99 years renew the C of O, then some other issues arise as to who is entitled to the renewal; Is it the original holder of the C of O or the holder of a Deed of Assignment at the time of expiration?

First, we must establish and remind ourselves that section (1) of the Land Use Act 1978 vests all land in the territory of each state in the federation to the governor of that state to be held in trust and administered for the use and common benefit of all Nigerians. The true import of this is that the Government owns the Land, and grants a Certificate

Continue reading: http://www.ibejulekkilawyer.com/property-owners-and-developers-what-happens-after-the-99-years-of-the-grant-of-certificate-of-occupancy/

In Nigeria, female child and widows rights to inherit their father/ husband’s property in most tribes and cultures are somewhat similar. Generally in the inheritance system, female child or widows are usually excluded or limited to inherit their father/ husband’s property. This principles or custom has raised arguments, debates on equality and discrimination of the female gender. However, some of this principles and customs have been changed or amended by the court of justice as we shall see below.

In most Igbo traditional societies, females and widows do not exercise rights of inheritance over their father/ husband’s property. Though they could benefit from the estate or property. Such gestures are normally extended to them by their father/ husband out of his personal consideration while he is alive. And even at that, such gesture cannot include any portion of land within his ancestral home. The right to succession......
Continue reading: http://www.ibejulekkilawyer.com/womens-right-of-inheritance/

Nigeria is famous for her abundant mineral resources and her large land mass which have brought great revenues to her and as a result of these, make promising outlook for investment and future growth. Because of this investment growth, the country has promulgated several Decrees and Acts to regulate foreign investment in Nigeria.
In 1972, Nigeria declared the Nigerian Enterprises Promotion Decree, the motivation behind which was to advance the support of Nigerians in the economy by giving Nigerians control and responsibility for organizations and banning outsiders or foreigners from putting resources and investing into specific activities in Nigeria.
After a progression of changes to this approach by open-minded successive government, two imperative turning points were accomplished in 1995 regarding foreign investment in Nigeria. The principal laws regulating foreign investments in Nigerian are:

The Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission Act No.16 of 1995; and
The Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act No.17 of 1995.

The Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) is an Agency of the Federal Government with perpetual succession and a common seal, which is specially established, among other things, to protect and control foreign investors and their investment in Nigeria. Through the enactment of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Committee Act (NIPC), Nigeria opened up all segments of the Nigerian economy to external and foreign involvement with the exception of those dealings considered as harmful and destructive such as: production of weaponries, dealing in narcotics substances, and so on.

Some Basic Functions and Powers of NIPC as Prescribed by Act 16 of 1995 are to:
(a) Co-ordinate, monitors, encourages and provides necessary assistance and guidance for the establishment and operation of enterprises in Nigeria;

(b) Initiate and support measures which shall enhance the investment climate in Nigeria for both Nigerian and non-Nigerian investors;

(c) Promote investments in and outside Nigeria through effective promotional means;

(d) Collect, collate, analyses and disseminate information about investment opportunities and sources of investment capital and advice on request, the availability, chance or suitability of partners in joint-venture projects;

(e) Register and keep records of all enterprises to which the NIPC Act legislation applies;

(f) Identify specific projects and invite interested investors for participation in those projects;

Continue reading:http://www.ibejulekkilawyer.com/principles-and-guidelines-for-doing-business-in-nigeria/

The Lagos State Government indicated that investors in the Lekki Free Trade Zone, LFTZ, should take a step up their Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR), to the host communities as that is one of the ways to secure the multi-billion dollars investment in the area.

The Government said the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode was passionate about the investment in the Lekki Free Trade Zone, Ibeju Lekki as it is the future core of commerce and industry in Africa.

Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Lekki Worldwide Investments Limited, Popson Jaiyesimi who spoke at a 3-day workshop on “Communication and Team Skills in Effective Interfacing on Community Service and Relations” for Stakeholders in the Lekki Free Trade Zone, Ibeju Lekki communities at the La Campagne Beach Resort, Lekki, Lagos, said Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) had become so critical that it could not be neglected by investors willing to secure their investments.

“We have a strategic plan to move Lekki Worldwide Investments limited forward and one of the things we identified is how to get the investors and the communities talking and we decided that there should be a workshop of information sharing between the investors and the communities. We are just the moderators.

“The governor is quite keen on this project because Lekki Free Trade Zone is the future of Nigeria businesses and it is a product of research. The fundamental thing is to make sure that there is security and this security comes when the communities are walking in tandem with the investors.

“This is to keep them talking because when you keep the people around the table, they share their fears and sometimes, you find out that it is just miscommunication as there is no issue at all,” he said.

Jaiyesimi additionally stated that the state government had understudied the Niger Delta crisis and what led to the agitation, saying that government would find a way out to address the needs of the people in Lekki in order to ensure the projects in the area were not truncated.

“We have found out that we need to get it right, because we have multi-billion dollars investments in that corridor and government has spent so much money in compensation and investment in the corridor. We are interested in knowing what the investors are putting down as Corporate Social Responsibilities to the communities,” he said.

Jaiyesimi stated that coordinated effort of all stakeholders in matters of CSR was required to ensure that the goal of the Lagos mega city was achieved, thereby............continue reading: http://www.ibejulekkilawyer.com/lekki-free-trade-zone-lagos-tasks-investors-on-community-engagement-to-secure-investments/

Buying a land or a house is probably the best decision you can ever make, and greatest reliefs ever. One can buy a land/ house for various reasons; it could be for personal purpose or rental purposes. Either way, you need to know what to do, check for or measure for when buying a land/house to ensure you are making the right decision.

In Nigeria, a land is measured in Hectares, Acres, Meters and Feet. The size of a plot of land can vary for different reasons but according to Nigeria’s land divisions, the appropriate plot for a house construction is 100 x 50ft which can accommodate a standard house with a small compound. As a potential buyer wishing to buy a land or build a new house you must be conversant with a few of these figures. The first step to take is to understand the structure and arrangement of Land measurement in Nigeria.

A hectare is one of the least known metric units and one which potential buyers and estate developers seem to struggle with. it is a land measuring 100m x 100m or 328ft x 328ft. It is about two and a half acres.

An Acre is a standard unit of......... Continue reading: http://www.ibejulekkilawyer.com/things-to-check-and-measure-for-when-buying-a-landhouse/

This article has been inspired by a true life experience concerning a brief I am presently handling for a client. This particular client came to me in respect of a dispute concerning the distribution of his father’s property that died intestate. The deceased had lots of landed property but failed to write a Will or instruction as to how the property is to be shared after his death. This dispute over the property has been going on for months and has caused a lot of “bad blood” between siblings and family members. It is therefore on this ground that I decided to write this article to educate and or refresh our memories on the benefits and need for a proper estate planning.

A lot of you reading this article will agree with me that you have not done the needful as it relates to the distribution of your estate when you are gone. Some of us need to update our Will and help our children and dependents live in harmony when we are gone. Some other persons are too spiritual and have refused to give this subject matter a second thought.

Legally, a person’s estate is everything he or she owns. But for the purpose of this article, I will refer to an estate as an area or an amount of land or property. Most Individuals put aside estate planning because they think....... Continue reading: http://www.ibejulekkilawyer.com/how-important-is-estate-planning/

Are you feeling cheated by your landlord? Do you want to know your right as a tenant. Check out http://www.ibejulekkilawyer.com and contact them and get online consultancy for free

Nigeria is considered by many to be one of the countries sliding into economic recession. This is a period of general economic decline and is accompanied by a drop in the stock market, an increase in unemployment, and a decline in the housing market. However, some who have a contrary opinion believe that the government is using an economic policy referred to as Strict Monetarism. It is an economic policy where the government uses its money to control goods and slow down economic growth and development on a wrong premise.

It is a known fact that recently in Nigeria, because of the harsh economic state of the country, there is an alarming rate of unemployment, big and small businesses folding up, sectors and organizations reducing their staffs, even foreign investors are withdrawing from Nigeria. Withdrawer by foreign investors is understandable and expected. This is because foreign investment has an element of risk especially for countries with an uncertain political situation and economic crises because these factors are major deterrents that can frustrate and discourage investors.

Despite all these loopholes and risk of investment especially for foreign investors in this period of the country, it amazes me that foreign investors are investing massively in Nigeria especially in real estate and landed property in the Ibeju-Lekki part of Lagos state. What really caught my interest is the fact that even in the country’s economic crisis and recession; big multinational companies are still investing in Nigeria. Now the big question is WHY?

Before we discuss “the WHY”, let us first take a quick look at what recession means to different investors, as this will drive home the point WHY investors will want to invest in a country facing an economic crisis and recession.

continue reading: http://www.ibejulekkilawyer.com/foreign-participation-and-investment-in-landed-property-in-nigeria/

Misplace of document is not a very uncommon issue these days. Either due to the carelessness of the holder or neglect of the banker, documents are found missing. Having your original property documents has practical and legal reasons. You need the document to show evidence of ownership because this would be necessary if you are selling or refinancing your house or property, or transferring the title for estate-planning purposes.

If the original is not in your possession or misplaced, and you want to sell the property, it puts the purchaser on enquiry. A purchaser faced with a seller that does not have his original property document may assume that it is the case of fraud. Even if you do not want to sell the property, but the title document is lost, there is still a security risk if the documents fall into the hands of a deceitful and fraudulent person. This person may pass himself off as the owner and with him being in possession of the original documents, his claim will be more credible to those who are interested.

Mr. Tayo (the buyer) for example was on the brink of working out a property deal, when he found out that Mr. Okoro (the seller) did not have the original Deed of Assignment. The seller Mr. Okoro mentioned that some of the papers were misplaced by his careless act. What procedure does Mr. Okoro follow to remedy the lost Deed of Assignment?

The first step is to swear to an affidavit that you misplaced it. With the affidavit, obtain a Police Report that your Deed of Assignment is missing. You also need to obtain a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Deed from the Lands Registry, Alausa. An advert in a widely circulating print media preferably a Newspaper to let the public know that you lost your Deed of Assignment is also required.

continue reading:http://www.ibejulekkilawyer.com/misplaced-property-documents-what-to-do/

I once wrote an article titled Breach of Agency Agreement, where I explained the relationship between the principal and the agent. A recap is therefore necessary to lay a foundation for the above subject matter. An agency agreement is the creation of a contract entered into by a mutual consent between a principal and an agent. A principal is a person that grants authority to an agent to act on behalf of and under the control and instructions of the principal. Therefore, the law governs and regulates the legal relationship in which an agent dealing with a third party for his/her principal.

The relationship between the agent and the principal is usually determined by both parties agreeing to the relationship. In the course of an agency relationship between the principal and the agent, it is a well-known fact that one of the duties of the principal is to pay remuneration to the agent depending on the agreement by both parties. But in a situation where the sale of the principal’s property has been sold by the principal himself and not the agent, and in the absent of a clear binding term in the agency agreement to that effect, the court will be reluctant to make the principal pay such agent commission over such property. Where the agent is to be paid commission in the event of him introducing a purchaser, it goes beyond just introducing the purchaser. Before an agent is entitled to a commission if he introduced a purchaser, such purchaser must not only be willing to purchase but also go as far as signing legal contract binding him after or before the purchase has been made. If this has not happened, the agent is not entitled to any commission.

Continue Reading Here: http://www.ibejulekkilawyer.com/rights-of-an-estate-agent-to-commission/

There was a mistake with my date of birth.. I sent copies of both my birth certificate and NECO to nysc as per the instructions if such mistake happen.. But nothing was done.. Am posted to Zamfara state, I want to know if this could be corrected during registration in orientation camp..... Thank u

Add me to WhatsApp group chat pls.... 08033199249 zamfara stream II