@lordoye: WHAT TO DO IF ANY OF YOUR LAND DOCUMENT SUCH AS CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY,DEED OF ASSIGNMENT OR CONVEYANCE GETS LOST Losing your Deed of Assignment or Conveyance does not mean you have lost your land. However you need to take action as soon as possible Here is how to handle it the right way. 1. Report it to the police first Go to the nearest police station and report the document as missing. Ask for a Police Extract. This is not just paperwork for the sake of it. If the matter ever gets to the Land Registry or to court, you need to show that you took the loss seriously and acted fast. The Police Extract is your first piece of evidence that the loss actually happened and that you did not sleep on it. 2. Swear an Affidavit of Loss Next, go before a Commissioner for Oaths office in the High Court and swear an affidavit explaining exactly how the document went missing. Be specific and be honest. This affidavit is your sworn account of what happened, and it works alongside the Police Extract to show you made a genuine effort before turning to alternatives. 3. Publish a public notice Place a notice in a national newspaper declaring the deed missing. This does two things for you. It warns the public so nobody can use the document fraudulently if it ever surfaces in the wrong hands, and it adds one more layer showing you acted diligently and in good faith. 4. Apply for a Certified True Copy This is the step that really matters, and it all comes down to one question: was your deed registered? If it was registered at the Land Registry, you are in a strong position. You can apply for a Certified True Copy (CTC), and the law backs you fully here. Once a document has been registered, a properly certified copy from the Registry is treated as good as the original, even if the original is lost or destroyed. But it has to be a proper CTC, stamped and issued by the Registry. A plain photocopy, a scanned image, or a snapshot of the old deed will not do. If your deed was never registered, there is no file for the Registry to certify, and this is where it gets harder. You will have to fall back on your receipt of payment, survey plan, allocation letter, and witnesses to the transaction to piece together your proof. This is exactly why I keep telling people, register your title. It is the difference between a straightforward fix and a long uphill battle. 5. Go back to the seller or developer Contact the person or company you bought the property from. Most reputable sellers and developers keep proper transaction records, and they can often issue confirmation letters or duplicate documentation to support your claim. Orioye Ronuwo Owolebi Esq is a Real Estate Lawyer and the Founder of Genuine Land Verification Services, a startup company that conducts due diligence on property transactions to prevent individuals from falling victim to real estate scams You can reach ORIOYE OWOLEBI ESQ via 08083759767

Orioye Ronuwo Owolebi

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Wednesday 05 August 2026 07:50:09 GMT