Kaduna to register land agents with unique codes in push against property fraud
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KADGIS says every land agent in Kaduna State will soon need a unique, non-transferable agent code as part of land administration reforms aimed at curbing property fraud and improving accountability.
The Kaduna State Geographic Information Service (KADGIS) says it will soon launch a registration system for land agents designed to strengthen accountability and curb property-related fraud.
The Director-General of KADGIS, Bashir Ibrahim, disclosed this in Kaduna at a town hall meeting on Land Administration Reforms 2026. He said the system would require every land agent in the state to obtain a unique, non-transferable agent code that would allow KADGIS to identify who handled a transaction and establish accountability when disputes or fraudulent activities arise.
"Every agent must obtain an agent code. If any issue arose, we will know exactly which agent handled the transaction," he said. Agents will also be required to register their sub-agents and staff under their codes, and the registration will cover both individual land agents and companies operating in the state.
Ibrahim said the system would also address cases where fraudsters impersonated legitimate land agents to sell properties or forge land documents, noting that some agents had previously been implicated in investigations despite not being responsible for transactions carried out using their identities. He said the registration would enable KADGIS and law enforcement agencies to trace transactions and distinguish genuine agents from impersonators.
The agency has also strengthened its dispute-resolution mechanism by conducting preliminary investigations before referring land-related complaints to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Land agents, buyers and disputing property owners are now invited to reconciliation meetings to resolve cases before resorting to litigation or law enforcement, and Ibrahim said more than 3,600 land disputes had been resolved through the mechanism, with alternative plots allocated in appropriate cases where parties were found to be victims of misunderstandings or improper transactions.
He said the approach had reduced the burden on the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission through document verification and internal dispute resolution, adding that "only when there is financial fraud will the EFCC take over and deal with the client." The agency said it has secured and standardised land documentation, introduced National Identification Number and Bank Verification Number verification, and improved document security, with unencumbered plots now able to receive Certificates of Occupancy within 72 hours. Ibrahim said KADGIS had also cut its operational workflow from 36 steps to seven and established a Quality Assurance Department to verify the authenticity of submitted documents before approval, while issuing 15,379 signed Certificates of Occupancy under the reforms.
The KADGIS boss said Kaduna is the first state in Nigeria to introduce sectional titling, which allows properties such as terraces and shops to be registered, and that every property developer in the state must now have corporate social responsibility and security frameworks before being allowed to commence development. Land agents can apply to his office for a 15 per cent discount on documentation fees, with higher discounts possible through the governor.
Also at the town hall, the Head of the Land and Property Fraud Section at the EFCC's Kaduna Zonal Directorate, Michael Adache, described land fraud as a financial crime with a physical address, involving deliberate deception, forgery, impersonation or unlawful conduct to acquire, sell, transfer, mortgage or profit from land. He identified emerging forms including cyber-enabled land fraud, forged title documents, multiple allocation, identity theft, land grabbing and insider collusion.