Trespass to land is a common phenomenon in Nigeria. If you just purchased or already own a landed property in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State or any where in Nigeria and property documents have been signed by both parties, transferring equitable/legal interest to you, do not place total reliance on your title document and abandon the land. This abandonment can have dire consequences as land grabbers may trespass on the land you just purchased and resell it, leaving you in a legal tussle to recover it. Worst of all, you may be caught up by the doctrine of lashes and acquiescence and may never recover your land. It is therefore imperative that you take the following steps to protect your property from trespassers;
1. Take possession: It is important that you take possession immediately after purchase. This can be achieved by carrying out acts of possession such as erecting a fence if there was none, planting on the land if it was fallow, clearing the land, digging trenches to mark the boundaries, etc. It is advisable that you employ the services of the local community to carry out the acts of possession on your behalf. This is because it is the local community that will eventually inform you/bring to your notice when there is a trespass to your land. By taking immediate possession, you will succeed in warding off trespassers from your property.
2. The use of signage: You must have witnessed certain inscriptions on the perimeter fence of landed properties such as “Caveat Emptor”, “This land is not for sale”, “Buyers beware”, “Keep off” and the rest of them. These signage protect your property and chase away potential trespassers or land grabbers.
3. Secure your legal documents: We had stressed on the benefit of registering your title documents with the relevant authorities here. After registration, it is important that you keep all your documents safe and readily available/reachable should the need arise.
4. Regularly monitor the land: It is expected that after purchase, you monitor the land regularly. This move puts the trespassers on their toes as they don’t know when next you will be coming to monitor your land. If you can’t monitor your land due to distance, you can install CCTV cameras and/or engage the services of a trusted relative or friend.
5. Take legal action: If after employing the above strategies, trespassers still encroach on your land, you must take legal action by contacting a Property Attorney to commence legal action against the erring party, on your behalf.
Conclusion
Trespass to land is avoidable if one takes the above steps to secure their landed property after purchase.
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