“Long Occupancy On an Abandoned Property Makes You The Owner” ~ Nigerian Lawyer, Stan Alieke

 

A controversial legal opinion has erupted into national discourse following public remarks by Nigerian lawyer Stan Alieke, who encouraged the homeless to seize unoccupied properties, claiming that long-term occupation could result in legal ownership.

The statement, circulating widely across social media and legal forums, ignited a flurry of reactions from property owners, law enforcement, housing rights activists, and fellow legal professionals. Alieke’s advice, framed as a solution to homelessness in a country battling chronic housing deficits, calls for individuals without shelter to identify vacant properties, move in, and assert long-term occupancy as a legal pathway to ownership.

This radical interpretation touches on the concept of adverse possession, a legal doctrine existing in many jurisdictions, including Nigeria. Under this principle, an individual who occupies land or property without the permission of the rightful owner, and does so openly, continuously, and exclusively for a certain statutory period, could potentially claim ownership. In Nigeria, this period ranges between 12 and 20 years, depending on the state.

However, the practicalities of invoking adverse possession are murky at best. Property law in Nigeria remains entangled in colonial legacies, customary practices, and statutory regulations. While adverse possession exists within the Nigerian legal system, it is neither simple nor straightforward. Legal ownership requires rigorous judicial processes, including demonstrating uninterrupted occupation, absence of the owner’s contest, and often, considerable legal fees.

Despite these complexities, Alieke’s statement has resonated with thousands of urban poor and internally displaced persons who have long viewed the formal housing market as inaccessible. Informal settlements continue to grow on the outskirts of cities like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, underscoring both the shortage of affordable housing and the failures of public policy to address urban migration.

For 38-year-old Joseph Okwara, a former security guard who lost his job and was evicted from his rented room in Ajegunle, the lawyer’s advice felt like a ray of hope. “I’ve passed by many abandoned houses in Victoria Island,” he says. “No one lives there. If I move in and keep the place clean, why shouldn’t I have a chance at calling it mine someday?”

Okwara is not alone. Several community groups are reportedly exploring ways to collectively occupy unused buildings, citing Alieke’s statement as a green light. One anonymous group in Abuja is said to be drawing up informal guidelines to select which properties to target and how to avoid police confrontations.

Real estate developers and landlords, on the other hand, are calling the remarks reckless and potentially inciteful. A spokesperson for the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) condemned the message, warning that such actions could increase legal disputes, discourage investment, and lead to widespread anarchy in urban property management.

“The idea that anyone can just walk into a home and claim it because it’s empty is dangerous,” says Mrs. Funmilayo Ajiboye, a Lagos-based property lawyer. “Adverse possession isn't a license for lawlessness. It’s a legal concept that must be proven in court, not in the court of public opinion.”

Police authorities have also expressed concern. In Lagos State, security officials stated that unauthorized occupation of property remains a criminal offense and warned against attempts to interpret legal doctrine without due process.

Yet the lawyer behind the storm remains unapologetic. Alieke, in a follow-up interview, defended his remarks. “My statement is rooted in the law, not in emotion. The law provides mechanisms for disadvantaged people to assert rights over land. If we don’t talk about it, only the elite will continue to benefit.”

He added that his suggestion was not an endorsement of crime but a push for legal awareness among marginalized populations. “People are sleeping under bridges while mansions rot away unoccupied. Something is fundamentally wrong with that picture.”

Nigeria’s housing deficit—estimated at over 20 million units—is no secret. Attempts to address this challenge have largely failed due to corruption, bureaucracy, and inconsistent policies. While schemes such as the National Housing Fund and public-private partnerships have been floated, progress remains slow and uneven.

As the dust from Alieke’s comments continues to swirl, a deeper question lingers: Should legal tools like adverse possession be more openly discussed and harnessed for social justice, or are they dangerous loopholes waiting to be exploited?

For now, what began as a single lawyer’s bold legal take has blossomed into a full-blown national conversation—forcing both citizens and the state to reconsider who truly has the right to call a place home.