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HOW TO ACQUIRE AND REGISTER YOUR PROPERTY TITLE IN ABUJA

Published

2 years ago

July 22, 2022

Sahara Weekly

HOW TO ACQUIRE AND REGISTER YOUR PROPERTY TITLE IN ABUJA

BY DENNIS ISONG

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Acquisition of personal Real Estate assets/Landed property in your name, indicating a welcome change from a life of paying rent and living in fear of the Landlord is what we term success.

But the Nigerian Real Estate sector is fraught with too many legal risks and is as a result, highly regulated.

That you made a payment to the Land vendor and signed a document called a Deed of Assignment which the “Agent of the seller” claims his lawyer prepared does not mean that you are good to go.

Is it over? How can you be completely sure that the owner of the land sold you a valid and free title to the property you paid for? How sure are you that your title has been registered and secured under the law just because you signed a Deed of Assignment?

We shall look into questions and responses concerning that.

How can I be sure that the land vendor is genuine and that he is selling me a legitimate title?

You can do your due diligence through this measure known as a SEARCH REPORT being carried out at the Land Registry of the state where the property you want to buy is located( the FCT Department of Lands Administration for Abuja or Federal Land Registry for Federal Land Registry for Federal Land owned in states e.g. FHA Real Estate assets).

What are the requirements and procedures for a Land Search Report?

-Write an application letter to the Director of Lands Administration detailing the property information as it appears on the Certificate of Occupancy including the particulars of the supposed owner/vendor of the property, the plot and file numbers, the Certificate of Occupancy number, and date details

-Attach to this application evidence of payment (a customized teller) of a search fee of 10,000 Naira for a Residential purpose property or 20,000 Naira for Commercial purpose properties (which might have been increased). You will also need to present an original certificate or a right of occupancy for sighting and documentation purposes and a valid means of identification

-A search of the property will then be carried out by Land Registry staff.

Note: In addition to a Land Registry search, you will need to also carry out a corporate search at the Corporate Affairs Commission if the property is sold by a company, you also need to search with the State Probate Registry for a Letter of Administration or Probate Grant if the vendor says the property he is selling was gotten via inheritance. If the property is said to be gotten as part of a share of Community land, you need to properly verify this by checking with as many members of the extended family and community as possible.

If the property you wish to buy is developed or a high-rise building structure you might need to procure or ask the vendor for a profile of the building designers as well as a certificate of structural integrity as well as technical information on the building foundation quality.

What if the land I want to buy is not registered and has no title documentation attached to it?

In the case of Lagos where this is more of a problem, you will have to carry out what is known as Charting at the State Surveyor-General’s office to check if the land is under Government acquisition or eligible for private ownership.
In some cases, the vendor might tell you that the landed property is covered by an excision (a release of land by the Governor of a state to a community or a set of Private occupiers using a Gazette) which might be a lie and can only be confirmed by a Gazette number.

What does it mean if I go ahead and buy this piece of unregistered property and it turns out to be a government acquisition?

That means you have been scammed.
Buying land of this nature is a gamble. If the land is a pure Government acquisition, you can simply carry out what is called Land Regularization/ Ramification which involves buying the same piece of land all over, but this time paying directly to the Government.
If the land however is what is called a government commitment acquisition, then your money is totally gone and you are definitely getting no land as Government-committed lands are usually earmarked for dedicated State projects from Government estates and schemes to Power distribution lines, Oil and Gas pipelines, Agricultural schemes, industrial layouts.

How can I do my due diligence without running the risk of losing this deal to quicker buyers? What can I do to commit with the vendor so I don’t lose the juicy offer?

In that case, what you should do is to execute a Contract of Sale which legally binds both of you pending when you carry out your findings and finally complete the sale through a statutorily required Deed of Assignment or Conveyance. This contract will have the legal effect of invalidating any subsequent discreet sale to a purchaser for a higher value if attempted by the vendor.

Note: Such a Contract of Sale usually requires that you deposit a portion of the Transaction price of the piece of land. It is also prudent to demand that the vendor under the contract provide every help needed to register your title to the property after the Deed of Assignment has been completed and the Transaction value of the property has been fully paid by you.

Why do I need to register my title to the property? Won’t just completing the payment and signing the Deed of Assignment or Conveyance be enough to qualify as a complete transfer of property?

By Section 22 of the Land Use Act 1978, it is a compulsory requirement that every transaction or conveyance of a Statutory Right of Occupancy be registered after getting the consent of the Governor of the State who by the Act is the Statutory Trustee/ Legal ownership repository of all lands within a state. Customary rights of Occupancy are regulated by the Local Government of the area where the land is situated.

What this means is that all Land transactions must be registered with the State Land Registry after getting a Governor’s consent, otherwise, they will be deemed illegal. So, you must commence the Registration process within 30 days of executing the Deed of Assignment.

What does it take to register a title to Real Estate property and how long does it take to obtain a Governor’s consent?

1. A completed application for a grant/subsequent grant of a Statutory Right of Occupancy
2. Proof of payment of an application processing fee of 100,000 Naira for commercial land and 50,000 Naira at designated banks
3. A photocopy of a receipt obtained from the Abuja Geographical Information System (AGIS) upon presentation of the application processing fee teller
4.2 passport photographs
5. A valid means of Identification
6. Tax Clearance Certificate

(For land that is to be acquired for Development/ Commercial purposes, the following will be required:

1. A schematic design of the proposed building
2. An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
3. Evidence of Financial and Technical capacity
4. Incorporation Certificate, CAC forms, and Corporate Tax Clearance Certificates in the case of the applicant being a company

Building permits in Abuja are handled by the Department of Development Control (DODC)
It should also be noted that the AGIS registers Powers of Attorney over undeveloped portions of land within Abuja while a Deed of Assignment is registered to indicate the conveyance of a title to a developed portion of land within Abuja.
Dennis Isong helps individuals invest right in Real estate. For questions on this article or enquiring about Real estate. Follow him on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/landpropertyng , Email Dennis@Landproperty.ng or Whatsapp/Call +2348164741041

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society

Don’t desecrate the courts while fighting corruption, anti-graft CSOs caution EFCC, others

Published

6 hours ago

April 18, 2024

Sahara Weekly

Don’t desecrate the courts while fighting corruption, anti-graft CSOs caution EFCC, others

. Say ‘rush to arrest ex-Kogi Gov despite pending Appeal Court hearing suggests political persecution’

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. Warn against ‘breaking a law to enforce another’

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Anti-Corruption Civil Society Organisations have advised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission not to desecrate the courts in the course of carrying out its constitutional role of fighting corruption.

The CSOs and human rights crusaders cautioned the EFCC and other anti-graft agencies against trampling on the rights of supposed suspects of corruption in order to avoid breaking a law to enforce another law.

The activists, who spoke at an emergency press briefing in Lagos on Thursday, noted specifically that the recent public face-off between the EFCC and a former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello in Abuja, was “both unnecessary and unfortunate.”

The Executive Chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL), who addressed the press, suggested that the rush
by the EFCC to make an arrest, when the Court of Appeal hearing on its application to vacate the restraining order was just in a few days, might give credence to allegations of political persecution.

“Mr. Olukoyede is my friend. But if he begins to trample on the rule of law, then that’s the terminal point of our friendship,” Adeniran said.

The CSOs noted that the EFCC’s action on Wednesday was “tantamount to the agency preempting the outcome of its appeal and also violating a subsisting and valid court order to pause action pending the determination of the case before it.”

“Our layman’s understanding is that a Court of coordinate jurisdiction cannot assume superiority over another,” they noted.

Gbenga Soloki of the Centre Against Injustice and Domestic Violence, who also spoke, said civil societies in Nigeria would protest vehemently against any attempt to use the military to arrest an individual who had not been accused of treason.

“It is extremely disappointing to hear this afternoon that EFCC is threatening to involve the military in their desperation to forcefully or violently arrest an individual who has not been alleged of treason.

“Should that happen, we will be a laughing stock globally. Civil society will be active in protesting against such unforgivable infraction on our democracy should it happen as threatened. It should better not happen,” he said.

Adeniran stated, “We do not consider Yahaya Bello a saint, but even the devil deserves his rights under the law. Court documents at our disposal show that the former Governor had obtained a High Court restraining order on the EFCC not to arrest or prosecute him pending the determination of a case of the enforcement of his fundamental human rights, which the Commission has rightfully appealed with the intention of vacating.

“The Commission has done very well up to this point following the due processes of law because without vacating that order, it cannot proceed with arresting the suspect.

“According to available court documents, hearing on the appeal has been slated to come up on Monday April 22nd in Abuja. However, suddenly yesterday (Wednesday) the news of the foiled arrest of the former Governor by the Commission went viral. One would have expected the Commission to wait for the determination of its own appeal before going after the suspect.

“We think it is an abuse of court processes to ignore a court order still on appeal at the instance of the Commission and to obtain a warrant of arrest from another court on the same suspect.”

The CSOs urged the EFCC to fight, prevent and prosecute corruption cases strictly within the ambit of the law set up to regulate the interaction between them and corruption suspects.

They noted that laws, including the Nigerian criminal justice system regulations and court processes, were meant to be obeyed non-selectively by both state and non-state actors.

The CSOs recalled that when the current Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, came on board last year, one of his promises was to operate strictly within the rule of law.

“For those who are likely to misinterpret this intervention as it is their regular trademark, this goes beyond Yahaya Bello. Injustice to anyone should not be allowed to stand because it may be your turn tomorrow,” they noted.

The activists therefore urged the EFCC to revert to status quo antebellum pending the determination of its appeal and a vacation of the restraining order placed on it, saying “that is the way and dictate of the law.”

The press conference was attended by Comrades Debo Adeniran, Executive Chairman, Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership CACOL); Sina Loremikan, (Campaign Against Impunity); Declan Ihekhaire, (Activists for Good Governance); Gbenga Soloki, CADOV; Ochiaga Ohaneze, (Ohaneze Youth Council); Funmi Jolade, (Women Democratic Vanguard); Kola Abe, (Centre for Socioeconomic Rights); Ologun Ayodeji, (Transparency and Accountability Group); Femi Lawson, (Centre for Public Accountability) and Gbenga Ganzallo (Media Rights Campaign), among others.

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society

Between Yahaya Bello’s Embarrassment And Primate Ayodele’s Prophecy

Published

12 hours ago

April 18, 2024

Sahara Weekly

Primate Ayodele: The Only Man Of God That Foretold Earthquake Incident In USA (VIDEO)

*Between Yahaya Bello’s Embarrassment And Primate Ayodele’s Prophecy

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The new development in the Nigerian political sphere involving the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and politicians has sparked clarity between the former governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello and the prophecy of Nigerian prophet, Primate Elijah Ayodele.

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Yesterday, Yahaya Bello experienced the biggest embarrassment so far since he started his political career; operatives of the EFCC barricaded his Abuja residence in an attempt to arrest him for financial crimes and it only took the intervention of the current governor of his state, Usman Ododo to rescue him from the hands of the security operatives.

The former governor in a smart move approached the court for an injunction against the EFCC but the agency also immediately secured an arrest warrant against the former governor. Just a few hours ago, the federal government ordered every person invited by the EFCC to submit themselves honorably and meanwhile, EFCC had mentioned that military help would be used to arrest Yahaya Bello if he continues to evade arrest.

All of these happenings have only indicated the readiness of the commission to arrest the former Kogi governor, causing an unprecedented embarrassment for the embattled politician.

On the other hand, Primate Ayodele who is blessed with the gift of prophecy had said in October 2023 that he foresees the arrest of Yahaya Bello. The man of God mentioned that the former governor will be arrested and embarrassed while expressing that he doesn’t think there is any solution for him.

These were his words:

‘’I am seeing Yahaya Bello being arrested and embarrassed. I don’t know how he is going to do it but Yahaya Bello is in a double soup.’’

@primateayodele

#yahayabello #kogi #kogistate #crises #yahayabello #nigeria #nigerian #nigeriantiktok #warnings #prophecy #prophecy #CapCut #primateayodele #iescworldwide

♬ original sound – Primate Ayodele

The attempted arrest of Yahaya Bello and the embarrassment he was made to face yesterday has definitely fulfilled the prophecy of Primate Elijah Ayodele.

When the prophet released the prophecy, it was unbelievable because the former governor is from the ruling party and the relationship between him and President Tinubu is cordial therefore, it was almost impossible for any federal agency to go after him but with the recent happenings, Primate Ayodele’s prophecy has been confirmed.

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AltBank, Sterling One Foundation, Lagos Foodbank combat hunger, champion education

Published

13 hours ago

April 18, 2024

Sahara Weekly

AltBank, Sterling One Foundation, Lagos Foodbank combat hunger, champion education

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Sahara Weekly Reports That The Alternative Bank Limited (AltBank) has announced a strategic collaboration with FoodBank and Sterling One Foundation to raise approximately N20 million in support of hunger alleviation and educational initiatives. This initiative aligns with the theme of the African Union Summit 2024, “Educate and Skill Africa for the 21st Century.”

Hassan Yusuf, the Managing Director of The Alternative Bank, unveiled this plan in a press release, highlighting the forthcoming AltWalk event as a pivotal fundraising platform.

“Through this initiative, we aim to mobilize contributions from both internal and external stakeholders, reaffirming our commitment to education and societal welfare,” stated Hassan.

The fundraising campaign aims to secure N20 million, with the proceeds serving dual purposes: providing meals for underserved communities and orphanages through the Lagos FoodBank initiative and delivering quality educational support via Sterling One Foundation.

This campaign targets individuals, families, businesses, and organizations committed to ending hunger, improving education, fostering healthy living, and positively impacting society. Prospective donors are encouraged to contribute through https://altbank.ng/walk/.

Stakeholder participation and donations are poised to substantially impact critical social issues, including hunger reduction, enhanced education, and healthier lifestyles.

Yusuf emphasized AltBank’s dedication to empowering customers through innovative solutions in health, food security, and education, positioning them for success in the 21st century. He stressed that education is central to the bank’s mission of bolstering the economy and enhancing financial well-being across society.

AltBank, Nigeria’s most recent entrant into the financial services sector, made a grand entrance with simultaneous launch events in Lagos, Abuja, and Kano, marking the country’s first multi-city brand launch. As the ethical banking arm of Sterling Financial Holdings, The Alternative Bank originated in 2014 as Sterling Alternative Finance under Sterling Bank Plc’s non-interest banking license. It has since evolved into a prominent player in Nigeria’s non-interest banking sector.

About Lagos FoodBank

Lagos Food Bank is a non-profit, nutrition-focused initiative committed to fighting hunger, reducing food waste, and addressing malnutrition through targeted programs. Their initiatives aim to improve the nutrition and food intake of vulnerable populations, including children, pregnant women, lactating mothers, seniors, and impoverished families.

About Sterling One Foundation

The Sterling One Foundation catalyzes positive social impact across critical sectors of the Nigerian economy. Motivated by the distinct challenges faced by millions of Africans, the foundation aims to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), capitalize on the demographic dividend, and improve the standard of living for underserved communities. Through stakeholder-driven interventions, it focuses on employability, sustainability, wealth creation, socioeconomic development, and national progress.Inline image

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