Would you rather buy cheap land from the omo-oniles or go with a developer?

The menace of Omo-onile in Nigeria have been and still remains worrisome. The extortion of innocent property owners by touts and  street urchins known as Omo-Onile or Agajungbale in different parts of Lagos State has brought to the fore the nuisance which the group, which calls itself the “sons of the soil “ and “children of original land owners,” is constituting to the people.

Today on Nigeria Real Estate hub powered #shelterMatters we would be looking into their practices and your view on what could be done.

I beg to ask who the real owners of the lands in Nigeria are, the government? Or the ‘sons of the soil’ as they call themselves?

Some say the omo-oniles are the real sellers of lands. While the developers buy from them to resell, one sits on a safer wand if buying land from a registered developer in the country because you can be rest assured that you won’t be having omo-onile battles.

Basically, land isn’t cheap except you are dealing with the omo-oniles the it comes lesser, however, the trouble coming from them even after having fully paid all that have been required of you is unquantifiable.

Good news arising from all this is the measure being put in place by REDAN members. One of the fore playing property dealers in the county, Realty point limited and other certified members of REDAN have found ways around this to help prospective buyers acquire landed properties at an affordable rate and with a very flexible plan.

However, this doesn’t mean the omo-oniles have stopped causing troubles.

I remember the experience of an aunt of mine on the land she acquired some years back at Akute, Ifo Local government area of Ogun state. After buying the land, getting her receipt from the supposed family that owned the land, a group of men tagged omo-onile came to fight. They wanted to collect some huge sum of money which they called ‘foundation fee’. While the argument was on going, we were told that after paying the said foundation fee, they’d be back when the building gets to the window level to collect some more money and then another when it’s time to roof. Total sum to be collected was way over the amount paid for the land.

While the argument on my aunt’s property was going on, fight and blood shed was going on just beside hers. The omo-omiles asked the man who owned the property to either pay them for the land or go collect his money from whoever he bought it from.

The omo-oniles cases now transcends buying at a cheaper rate to buying from the right source.

State governments have taken steps to help land owners verify their property. The Certificate of occupancy at an easier process and reduced cost have been of great help to seize the fight and blood shed by the omo-oniles.

Nigeria real estate hub asked people which they would prefer.

Would you rather buy cheap land from the omo-oniles or go with a developer?

At the mention of the word/name ‘omo-onile’, the answer remained a firm ‘No’.

Don’t bite off more than you can chew. It’s not worth it! Unless your father is a general in the army, if you want to build a house, at least in Lagos, you need to know who the Omo-Onile are.

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