🚨 That land receipt in your drawer may not be enough to prove ownership!

Many Nigerians believe that once they pay for land and collect a receipt, the land automatically belongs to them.

In Nigeria, ownership of land is not determined merely by possession of a receipt. The Supreme Court, in the landmark case of Idundun v. Okumagba (1976), laid down five legally recognized methods of proving ownership of land.

1️⃣ Traditional History or Ancestral Ownership

A person can establish ownership by tracing the history of the land through inheritance, family lineage, customary grants, or ancestral possession.

Where a family can show how the land has passed from generation to generation, the court may recognize such evidence as proof of ownership.

2️⃣ Production of Valid Title Documents

Ownership may be proved through genuine and properly executed title documents such as:

✔ Certificate of Occupancy (C of O)

✔ Deed of Assignment

✔ Deed of Conveyance

✔ Governor's Consent

✔ Registered Survey Plan

However, a title document is only as good as the root of title behind it. A forged or defective document cannot confer ownership.

3️⃣ Numerous Acts of Ownership

Acts such as fencing the land, leasing it out, collecting rent, farming on it, selling portions of it, or developing it over time may support a claim of ownership.

The acts must be consistent, positive, and sufficiently numerous to show that the claimant exercised rights expected of a true owner.

4️⃣ Long Possession and Enjoyment;

Continuous, peaceful, and undisturbed possession of land over a long period may raise a presumption of ownership.

Nevertheless, long possession alone may not defeat a person with a better and superior title.

5️⃣ Ownership of Adjacent Land

Where a person successfully proves ownership of land adjoining the disputed property, the court may infer ownership of the disputed portion if the surrounding circumstances justify such inference.

IMPORTANT LEGAL LESSON

You do not need to prove all five methods.

The law is settled that proof of any one of these methods, if credible and convincing, may be sufficient to establish ownership of land before the court.

🚨 Before You Buy Any Land:

✅ Conduct a search at the Ministry of Lands.

✅ Verify the survey plan.

✅ Investigate the seller's root of title.

✅ Consult a legal practitioner before making payment.

Remember, a receipt may prove payment, but it does not always prove ownership.

⚖️ Know the Law. Protect Your Property.

Presented by

B.I. AZUBUIKE ESQ.

Barrister & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

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