BEWARE: POPULAR SCAMS / EXCUSES TO LOOK OUT FOR WHEN YOU WANT TO BUY LAND IN NIGERIA

The risk of fraud in land transactions has been increased by the growing demand for real estate in Nigeria. This article shows that there are widespread fraudulent practices used by greedy individuals and entities to prey on unsuspecting buyers. It gives insight into detecting and avoiding deception tactics, such as title counterfeiting or misrepresentation of ownership, with a focus on the need for good intelligence and vigilance in land acquisition decisions. It also highlights the significance of verifying property documents and being aware of common excuses used by fraudsters to create urgency. Empowering buyers with knowledge helps safeguard against financial losses and legal entanglements.

1. “The excision will be released next month” or any of its variations. This is one of the greatest lies told that has bankrupted a great number of Nigerians that attempted to invest in real estate. Due to the emotional fear engendered by the lie, many individuals do not want to be the last to purchase a property at a low price and miss out on the benefits of purchasing a property that will soon have an excision added to it. The truth is that no one can predict when the excise will be released. Every excision that has been released is at the Governor’s whim so where did the marketer, agent or developer of the real estate company obtain their information. Subscribers should be extremely vigilant to avoid falling for this deception. Check with your property lawyer, surveyor, or the Land Registry Alausa to confirm if an excision will be issued to the community you intend to purchase in. If it is false, please leave before it’s too late.
2. “The land is authenetic” or “take the file number and verify it at Alausa”. When I inquire whether they have actually viewed the file they are promoting, they become reticent and evasive. When I inquire about the contents of the file they just handed me to review, they become reticent and attempt to deflect the question. When I ask them where the file is located at the Land Registry Alausa so that I can directly inspect it, they begin speaking in tongues, mumbling gibberish, and realize that they cannot con me with that stupid “Take the coordinates and go and check the file number” scam. What they do not realize is that the file they are discussing is the File in which the community has requested an Excision from the Lagos State Government. Because it contains so many documents in preparation for the issuance of an excision, it is not a file that is readily accessible to all Tom, Dick, and Harry. It includes a letter from the community to the Lagos State government requesting approval of their excision application. It contains the general perimeter survey plan drafted by the community’s Surveyor to assist the Lagos State government in determining the portion of land to be issued to the community. It includes the various letters of correspondence between the Lagos State Government and the community. This file contains the fees, receipts, and taxes paid by the community to the Lagos state government, as well as acknowledgment letters and a number of other vital documents. It includes a report from the office of the surveyor general regarding the issuance of an Excision Survey plan for that community, etc. In short, this so-called file should not be treated lightly. This file is strictly between the Community or Village and the government of Lagos state. It has nothing to do with the real estate agency’s request that you check the file number.
3. “The land is free and problem-free”. I am always amused whenever I hear this statement. If I had saved 100 each time I was given a set of questionable coordinates to verify at the Land Registry Alausa, I would be richer than Dangote right now. When authentic Alausa Surveyors visit the site to verify the coordinates, many of the coordinates provided to subscribers are vastly different from the coordinates obtained on the land itself. Many of them are fabricated survey plans created in private offices to deceive individuals. When the dubious coordinates given to you are checked based on the fraudulently prepared survey plan that was given to the subscriber to check, it would indicate that the land is a very good land that is free from problems on the Survey Plan, but when a Surveyor from the Surveyor General’s Office goes to the land to pick the same coordinates, something potentially dangerous and problematic would be discovered. At that point, you will notice that the Land either falls under Lekki Acquisition, the land’s title has been revoked, the land is zoned for agricultural purposes only, or it is reserved for a government project. Over 80% of these Estates, particularly in the Ibeju lekki axis, lie about the number of coordinates in order to deceive people into purchasing their land. Because I have already caught these real estate companies in the act, whenever I inform them that I will be bringing a Surveyor from the Surveyor General’s Office to check their lands and confirm the veracity of their Coordinates claims in their survey, they become extremely hostile. Please don’t fall for this “go check the coordinates” con. Use independent licensed surveyors or the Surveyor General’s office to confirm the veracity of their coordinate’s number claims. If you choose to fall for this trick and enter problems, remember that there are tens of thousands of lawyers ready to charge you exorbitant fees to help you escape the situation. You have the option of doing the intelligent thing or paying through the nose to escape problems tomorrow. Worst of all, when the problem arrives, the Agent or Marketer who told you to check the number of the coordinate with extreme confidence in order to dupe you into purchasing the land will deny and pretend to be unaware of ever having persuaded you to buy the land based on the number of the coordinate. When you squeeze him or her, the Agent will inform you that he is not the owner of the Estate, as he was instructed to tell everyone. At the end of the day, you appear foolish, deflated, and confused, not to mention that you have paid him a commission that you will never receive a refund for, in addition to the outstanding problem of recovering your money from the fraudulent real estate company and having no land.
4. Survey Plan Scams. A survey plan is a piece of paper that shows the exact size and shape of a piece of land by measuring its boundaries. Surveyors are the people who deal with survey issues, and the office of the Surveyor general in Lagos (or your state) is in charge of how they do their jobs. There are a lot of scams involving the survey plan of a property to look out for. Any mistake invalidates the entire survey plan. The things to look out for are: name on the survey plan, number of registered surveyor’s seal, proper address of the property location, any variation in the size of the land, absence of a survey plan number, fraudulent back-dating of survey plan, surveyor’s signature and logo, unusual land contours on the survey plan and wrong beacon numbers on the survey plan.
5. Land Survey Sponsorship Scam. Land Survey Sponsorship in Lagos is one of the most popular investment schemes among land speculators due to the high returns based on the low amount of money to be invested and the high rewards expected. But it’s also the quickest way to lose your money and go bankrupt if you don’t understand the tricks used to engage in Land Survey sponsorship. Numerous agents romanticize land sponsorship and are always on the lookout for investors interested in land Survey sponsorship. You often hear phrases like “Sponsor 500 hectares of land and receive 50 acres in your name.” Who would hear about such an opportunity and not want to invest immediately?