Enugu disowns claims it issued global C of O for estate property

The Enugu State Government has refuted claims that it issued a Global Certificate of Occupancy for land at a location known as Premium Estate, behind Independence Layout Phase 2 in Enugu.

This clarification was contained in a public notice issued on Thursday by the Enugu State Geographic Information System Service (ENGIS).

The public notice was signed by the Public Relations Officer of ENGIS, Ozioko Cajetan Chinwe.

It comes amid aggressive marketing by real estate developers and agents who have been promoting plots in the layout by citing a single overarching “Global C of O” or promising seamless “Personal C of O” acquisitions under that umbrella.

In its public notice, ENGIS debunked the claims that a sweeping, collective “Global C of O” has been finalized or authorized for the third-party developers handling Premium Estate.

The agency said the purported document was not recognised in its records and warned members of the public against transacting business based on it.

ENGIS said: “No such document exists in our records.”

The agency explained that it maintains a complete database of all Global Certificates of Occupancy issued in the state and that none covers any land in or around the location identified as Premium Estate.

It further stated that any document claiming to be a Global Certificate of Occupancy for the estate is invalid.

“The said document is invalid,” ENGIS emphasised.

According to the agency, valid land titles in Enugu State are processed, generated and verified only through its official digital platform.

The agency also stressed that all land transactions handled by ENGIS are digitally recorded and traceable from application to issuance.

“Applications, payments, approvals, and issuance are logged in the ENGIS system,” it said.

ENGIS advised members of the public to verify the authenticity of land documents through its office at Independence Layout, Enugu, or via its official verification portal before entering into any transaction.

Warning prospective buyers and investors, the agency said: “Anyone who engages in such transactions does so at their own risk.”

ENGIS disclosed that it has commenced investigations into the alleged fraudulent scheme in collaboration with security agencies.

The agency said: “ENGIS, in collaboration with relevant security agencies, has commenced investigations to identify and prosecute those behind this fraudulent scheme.”