Legal Expert Dammy Esquire Warns Against Entrusting Land Documents to Pastors and Relatives
In a crucial public service announcement, Nigerian lawyer Dammy Esquire has issued a stern warning to landowners, advising them to cease the practice of entrusting their original land documents to pastors, friends, or family members.
The legal practitioner took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to highlight the severe risks associated with this common habit. He emphasized that land documents constitute legal power and are the ultimate proof of ownership, not merely pieces of paper to be stored casually.
“Stop giving your land papers to your pastor or that distant relative you trust so much. Land documents are power, not just paper,” he wrote.
Dammy Esquire explained that in the eyes of the law, the individual who presents the original documents is recognized as the owner, regardless of emotional appeals or personal relationships. He revealed that many clients have faced devastating losses after trusted individuals either misplaced the documents, used them to secure unauthorized loans, or even facilitated the secret sale of the property.
The lawyer advised the public to prioritize secure storage solutions for their original documents, recommending bank safe deposit boxes or professional fireproof lockers. For practical daily use, he suggested keeping certified true copies at home and providing additional copies to a lawyer, who is bound by professional confidentiality.
He concluded with a powerful reminder: “Your pastor can pray for your land but he shouldn’t keep the documents. In the eyes of the law, ownership is proven by paper, not trust.”
