Omo onile (omonile)

In south-west Nigeria, much land was originally held by families and communities under customary law. Their members, the omo onile, are the traditional landowners. The term has come to describe a specific problem: people from those families who:

• demand "foundation", "digging", "roofing" or "development" money before a buyer can build;
• sell the same plot to more than one buyer;
• reclaim land already sold by an earlier family head or generation;
• use threats or thugs to block construction or take over sites.

Not every indigenous landowner is omo onile in this sense; the term implies extortion or force.

The law. Lagos passed the Properties Protection Law in 2016, which makes forceful entry, threats, demanding illegal fees and fraudulent land sales criminal offences, and set up a special task force to enforce it. Ogun passed a similar law in the same year. Penalties differ between laws and between commentaries, so check the enacted text.

How buyers protect themselves. The best defence is good title: buy land with a C of O or consented deed, or from a family that has authority to sell, with the family head and principal members signing. Agree in writing before paying whether any community or development fee is due. Report threats to the Lagos task force or the police.

• Lagos: the Properties Protection Law and its task force apply; complaints are common in Lekki–Epe, Ikorodu and Ibeju-Lekki.
• Ogun: a 2016 law against forcible occupation of land applies; problems are reported around the Lagos border.