The Verification Protocol

Our 3-Phase Due Diligence Framework

Phase 01
Pre-Purchase Title Search

Registered title verification conducted before any deposit to confirm true ownership and uncover hidden liabilities.

  • Land Registry Search: Root of title, Volume, Page & Folio number audit.
  • Surveyor-General Charting: Coordinate confirmation against master acquisition maps.
  • Encumbrance Audit: Uncovering active mortgages, court caveats, and lis pendens disputes.
  • Gazette & Excision Check: Confirmation of gazette publication and excision status.
Phase 02
Ground & Physical Audit

On-site physical inspection to match registry records with on-the-ground reality.

  • Beacon & Boundary Verification: Validating pillar coordinates and physical site area.
  • Community Verification: Confirming family head authority and customary consents.
  • Right-of-Way & Setbacks: High-tension cable, drainage, and road setback compliance.
  • Physical Possession: Confirming zero illegal squatters or rival claimants.
Phase 03
Title Perfection & Filing

Securing complete statutory protection to make your ownership unassailable by law.

  • Governor's Consent Application: Managing statutory submission and follow-through.
  • Stamp Duty Clearance: Assessment, payment, and stamping of Deed of Assignment.
  • Survey Plan Lodgment: Official charting and registration at Surveyor-General.
  • Registry Memorialization: Entering deed into the state permanent archive.
Deliverables

What You Receive in Your Due Diligence Packet

1. Official Search Report

Certified true findings from the State Lands Registry confirming root of title, registered owner, active mortgages, court judgments, or caveats.

2. Charting & Cadastral Report

Official coordinates verification from the Surveyor-General certifying the land is uncommitted, free from government infrastructure projects, and within legal bounds.

3. Legal Opinion & Risk Rating

A formal written legal opinion by our property attorneys with a definitive Risk Score (Low / Medium / High) and an actionable advisory on transaction safety.

Risk Mitigation

Common Nigerian Title Pitfalls We Protect You From

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Committed Government Acquisition

Land reserved for state highways, power corridors, or industrial zones. Buying without cadastral charting leads to eventual government demolition without compensation.

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Multiple Sales & Disputed Family Titles

Rogue family members selling customary land without principal family head signatories, or selling the same plot to multiple unsuspecting buyers simultaneously.

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Fake or Unlodged "Red Copy" Surveys

Fabricated survey plans with fictitious beacon numbers that were never lodged with the Surveyor-General, making any associated deed legally defective.

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Undisclosed Bank Mortgages & Court Caveats

Properties used as collateral for bank loans where original title deeds are locked in financial institutions, or properties under active litigation (lis pendens).

Clarification & Process

Due Diligence FAQs

A standard title search and coordinate charting typically takes 48 to 72 business hours in major registries like Lagos, Abuja, and Ogun State. More intricate customary title investigations involving extensive archival retrieval may take up to 5 business days.

Yes, absolutely. We offer standalone third-party due diligence for private buyers, corporate investors, and diaspora clients for any property in Nigeria, regardless of where or how you discovered it.

We have full operational coverage across Lagos State (Alausa Lands Bureau), Abuja FCT (AGIS), Ogun State, Oyo State, Rivers State, Edo State, Enugu State, and Delta State, backed by experienced local property attorneys.

An acquisition is when the government designates land for public use. Committed acquisition means the state has designated the land for a specific infrastructure project (e.g. airport, road, public utility) and will never release or title it. Uncommitted acquisition means the land is under general acquisition but can be regularized or excised through formal application.