By Aremo Ogunjimi , UK-based Legal Expert, Rights Advocate & Commentator of Conscience
Since this report broke, everywhere has been errie calm and those affected quiet, because there’s nothing anyone can do against the decision of any state government on any land within their jurisdiction in Nigeria according to the law.
To all those tenants in Lagos claiming it’s a no-man’s-land and that they own the city/state, this is very important in reminding everyone about who actually owns Lagos, so that everybody would know their places going forward.
It’s a warning shot, a tip of the iceberg of what the real owners of Lagos can do.
If they wish they can implement a LAND DOCUMENT RECERTIFICATION for Electronic & Digital Mapping program where ALL owners of land title documents from C. of O to Survey Plans will be mandated to submit them to the state government for renewal and reissuance of a new digitalized title.
Then those who “bought” land and are holding leases for a determinate period will know the difference between themselves and the OMO ONILEs who hold land in perpetuity, and to whom the leases will revert in the end.
My advice for tenants in Lagos bragging that they own 70% of Lagos now is that they should be humble because even though they think they “bought” the land, what they actually have is a long lease as stated in their C Of O (Certificate Of Occupancy) terms, which according to the Land Use Act in the Constitution, can be revoked by the Governor at any time without any explanation to anyone.
If they provoke their landlords to revoke their leases, then the law will ask them to remove their houses from the owners’ lands.
Maybe they will carry them on their heads to their villages, or else, the law says QUID QUID PLANTATUR SOLO SOLO CEDIT (He who owns the land, also owns everything that’s on or in it)
Just a piece of advice.
