CFL raises alarm over ‘land title laundry’ in Lagos

A construction firm, CFL, has raised concerns over what it described as “land title laundry” in Lagos, following a disputed property at Victoria Island.

The company has given the Lagos State Land Registry a seven-day notice to address the disputed Governor’s Consent relating to the property.

The Group Managing Director of CFL, Engr. Lai Omotola, raised the concerns at a press conference in Lagos, where he called for greater scrutiny of land documents and transactions in the state.

According to him, the company purchased the property and commenced construction before another party appeared at the site with security personnel and claimed ownership based on a Governor’s Consent.

Omotola said CFL subsequently reviewed the documents associated with the property and contacted members of the family identified in the documents as an earlier owner.

Omotola said the company’s experience had prompted it to draw attention to what it termed “Land Title Laundry”, which he described as a process through which questions could arise over the authenticity and history of land documents.

He explained that a Certificate of Occupancy was different from a Governor’s Consent, noting that the latter relates to the government’s consent to a transaction between parties and does not, by itself, resolve possible defects in the underlying title.

According to him, “the state government after granting the consent will state clearly that this consent does not cure any defect in title.”

He said CFL had presented its concerns to the relevant authorities and was seeking a review of the disputed consent.

He said, “Over the years we have seen and heard of Land title cloning and forgery in Lagos state to obtain millions and billions of naira in return.

A lot of banks fell victims of cloned Lagos CofO such that they get to discover the forgery only when the loan enters default.

During the tenure of Governor Ambode, he ordered the demolition of the market opposite the government house where forged CofOs are issued and as at today it’s a pedestrian bridge that passes the Land and the market is no more.

However, because of the huge money and highly placed persons both inside and outside the government involved, they have perfected a new dimension. The new scam is what they have renamed Land Title Laundry (LTL).”