The Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS), Oyo state chapter, has cautioned Nigerians from buying lands without proper survey plans.

Its chairman, Waheed Lamidi, issued the caution in an interview with journalists in Ibadan on Sunday.

Mr Lamidi says a survey plan can prove that a seller has the right to sell and tell the buyer that the government is aware of the land’s existence.

He, however, advised Nigerians to always patronise only registered surveyors to avoid rising cases of land scams in the country.

“There are so many ways people are duping members of the public on land matters. I want to advise our people to always consult a registered surveyor before they pay for any land.

“This will help them to ascertain the genuineness of the land they want to buy; it reveals whether the land is free from government acquisition and if the land has not been sold to somebody else.

“It is always advisable to involve professionals before paying for lands to forestall losing large amounts of money in the process of avoiding surveyors’ professional fees.

“If the seller cannot provide the survey plan, it may be because the land has never been surveyed or another person owns the land,” he said.

The chairman noted that registered surveyors could easily be identified by their unique registration numbers and addresses from NIS.

He urged prospective land buyers to make payments only when they had physically examined such lands.

According to him, this will allow the buyer to ascertain the topography of the land, the kind of neighbourhood, and the level of development on the land.

(NAN)