09/01/2026
When there is land dispute and the court must decide between competing interests. The court will consider if any of the parties can prove title to land through any of the 5 ways to prove it. These are the five ways of proving title to land according to the Supreme Court:
✅Traditional Evidence: Ownership passed down through family or community. Example: Mr. Okoro inherited a parcel of land from his grandfather, and he can trace the history of ownership through family testimony and community recognition.
✅Documents of Title: Registered deeds, C of O, or conveyances. Example: Mrs. Adebayo presents a Certificate of Occupancy issued by the state government, proving she legally owns the land.
✅Acts of Ownership: Continuous use and control of the land. Example: Mr. Musa has been farming, building structures, and leasing parts of his land to tenants for over 10 years.
✅ Long Possession and Enjoyment Peaceful and uninterrupted occupation. Example: Mrs. Chukwu has been living on and maintaining her compound openly for 25 years without anyone challenging her possession.
Ownership of Adjacent Land: Ownership of connected or neighboring land implying control over the disputed area. Example: Mr. Eze owns a block of land and can show that the disputed portion is part of the same contiguous land his family has held for decades.
These examples show that title can be proved through history, documents, actions, or long-term possession, and the law recognises any of these as valid evidence.
Copied.
