The Kogi State Government has uncovered widespread fraud in the processing and issuance of Certificates of Occupancy in the state, invalidating all documents found to have been illegally obtained. According to a statement signed and issued on Thursday in Lokoja by Kingsley Fanwo, Commissioner for Information, many of the affected C of O lacked proper documentation, had no corresponding files, and did not pass through the required statutory processes.
“In many cases, official codes were fraudulently misapplied or manipulated in an attempt to circumvent established due process,” the statement partly read. Fanwo equally reminded the public that the constitutional authority to sign and validate every Certificate of Occupancy in Kogi State is vested exclusively in the governor. “Any Certificate of Occupancy issued outside this lawful process is therefore null, void, and of no legal effect.”
He equally disclosed that all government properties illegally acquired through fraudulent means had been invalidated and fully reverted to the ownership of the Kogi State Government. The government urged individuals or entities who may have acquired land or government property under questionable or irregular circumstances to immediately come forward and verify the status of such properties with the appropriate authorities, as he warned that any person found to have participated in the fraudulent issuance of C of O or the illegal takeover of government properties would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
“The Kogi State Government remains resolute in its commitment to transparency, accountability, and the protection of public assets. The era of land-related fraud and impunity in Kogi State is over.”
