Lagos State Government gives land owners 6-MONTH ULTIMATUM to regularise their title documents

The Lagos State Government has given land owners six months to regularise their title documents or face sanctions.

The State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, on Monday, accused many land owners land owners of presenting forged documents to obtain Certificates of Occupancy.

Effective from August 1, 2012, Fashola said the six-month notice would give residents enough time to "withdraw forged documents and make fresh application to the Lands Bureau".

Speaking while signing the State’s Land Use Act, entitled 'Title Document Regulations 2012' into law, Fashola said it had become common practice for land owners to give false information, describing it as criminal.

"Our officers at the Land Bureau are constantly inundated with forged applications by land owners seeking Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O)," he said.

"... some corporate organisations apply for C-of-O with fake certificates of incorporation and other documents; this is forgery and it violates the law of the state. Those who have applied for C-of-O with forged documents should withdraw their applications or risk prosecution."

The Governor urged the public to apply for land allocations in the state with genuine documents, saying such applications would be processed and allocations appropriately given, "instead of seeking to obtain it through false documents".

He added that the new law was the state's response to the problems associated with land documentation and to also ensure efficient service delivery to the people.

Fashola said the new law would also de-commission touting, forgers and "people who thrive on illegality", noting that his administration had already started the process of prosecuting some offenders to serve as deterrence to others.

The State Commissioner for Justice, Ade Ipaye, however, said that some of the offenders who presented forged documents for C-of-O might have done so out of ignorance.

He said there was no need for forgeries, as the "Land Use Act makes provisions for those who acquired their land before and after 1978."

Ipaye also assured the public that the governor would promptly approve applications for C-of-O.