Skip to content
DeedLens

Coverage

Four jurisdictions, each with its own rulebook

DeedLens covers the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos, Nasarawa and Enugu. Each state's rulebook sits on the same federal base, and every check cites its source.

The rulebook

Jurisdictions
FCT, Lagos, Nasarawa, Enugu
Source library
157 sources
Deal types
7
Check families
10
Document types
Over 40

By state

Choose a state

Each card counts the checks that apply in that state: the general and federal checks plus the state's own.

Every check cites its source. A check goes live for customers only after our legal adviser approves it.

Sources are link checked every week. Rules are versioned and never edited in place, so every finding names the rule version that raised it.

How a check goes live

Written from a source, approved by a lawyer

  • Every check is written from a stored source: a statute, an official notice, a fee schedule, a case summary or a law firm note, each marked verified, conflicting or unverified.
  • Each check goes live for customers once our legal adviser approves it.
  • A check whose source is conflicting or unverified runs in shadow mode: it is computed and logged, and customers never see it until it is approved.
  • Rules are versioned and never edited in place, so every finding names the rule version that raised it.
  • Sources are link checked every week.

The federal layer

The rules under every state

The Land Use Act decides who grants and who consents, case law decides what happens without consent, and tax and professional laws decide the paperwork.
Land Use Act 1978
Titles are rights of occupancy. No assignment, mortgage, transfer of possession or sublease without the Governor's consent first had and obtained (s.22); transactions against the Act are void (s.26); revocation for breach of the rent covenant (s.28).
Consent case law
Savannah Bank v Ajilo and Brossette v Ilemobola set how missing and pending consent are treated, and UBN v Ayodare looks at who signed it. Ibrahim v Obaje is contested, so DeedLens shows it as contested; registries still require consent.
Stamping
Instruments are stamped within 30 days of execution, and an unstamped instrument is inadmissible in evidence.
The professions
Only a legal practitioner prepares land instruments for reward, so DeedLens never drafts them and checks that a lawyer prepared the deed. Surveys need a SURCON registered surveyor.
Companies and evidence
Company execution is checked against CAMA, and registry documents are proved by certified true copies under the Evidence Act.

Deal types

Seven deal types, each with its own pack

A matter starts with its deal type and state. DeedLens lists the documents that deal normally needs, and anything missing becomes a finding addressed to the party who should supply it.

  • Plot resale on a state title

    Watch for Seller not the holder, unpaid ground rent, a plot on a revocation or void list, an undeveloped plot past its development deadline.

  • Estate plot from a developer on a mother title

    Watch for Developer not the holder, allocation letters treated as title, fees that change after signing, arrears on the mother title, no route to a buyer title.

  • Family or community land

    Watch for One signatory only, land under government acquisition, community disputes, family receipts presented as title.

  • Built house resale

    Watch for Unapproved extensions or change of use, and no approved building plan.

  • Flat or off plan unit

    Watch for No title in the developer's name, no permit, a payment plan without completion dates.

  • Lease or tenancy

    Watch for No landlord title or authority, Lagos advance rent limits, receipts missing the details the law requires.

  • Mortgage collateral

    Watch for Consent signed by the wrong official, perfection still open beyond the 18 months NMRC allows for interim cover.

Power of attorney sales run as a variant of plot resales and family land. An irrevocable power is a reason to ask for the transfer route, because a power of attorney does not by itself transfer title.

Document library

What each document does not prove

DeedLens knows over 40 document types: which fields to read in each, what it proves and, just as important, what it does not.
Certificate of Occupancy
Does not prove That the title is still live. A C of O is only prima facie evidence and can be revoked for unpaid rent or breach.
Allocation letter
Does not prove Title. AGIS will not sight a developer's allocation letter for a search.
Contract of sale
Does not prove A registrable title. A contract of sale cannot be registered.
Survey plan
Does not prove That the surveyor is registered or the beacons are real. The SURCON register answers that.
Power of attorney
Does not prove A transfer of title. The transfer still needs consent.
Search report
Does not prove Anything outside that registry. A Lagos search can miss a mortgage at the federal registry.

Next step

Run a pilot on your own deals

Sixty days at no fee for selected agencies, law firms, developers, lenders and property managers: five seats, 20 matters and a weekly review call.

Request a pilotBook a demo