“The fundamental principle in all land transactions is captured in the Latin maxim, “caveat emptor”, which means, let the buyer beware. A purchaser of land or a person who acquires land by other means, is required in law to first of all conduct a search in the relevant registries before committing himself and his money in any property transaction. Once a purchaser or, as in this case an applicant for a piece of land, carries out all the necessary searches/checks required of him and there is nothing adverse discovered, having exercised all due care and diligence, interest in the property will pass to him, even if it is subsequently claimed that there was a defect in title and irregularities, not on the part of the purchaser. He then becomes a bona fide owner/purchaser for value without notice – Ageh V Tortya (2003) 6 NWLR (Pt. 816) 385, 396; Owo V Kasumu (1932) 11 NLR 116.”
— J.H. Sankey, JCA. Umar Ibrahim v Nasiru Danladi Mu’azu & 2 Ors. (2022) – CA/G/317/2019