Category: PM News

The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has raided a store in Garki Market, Abuja, and seized suspected pirated books worth about N7 million.

The raid was carried out on Friday, September 4, 2026, as part of the commission’s ongoing efforts to stop the production and sale of pirated books across the country.

The Director of Public Affairs of the NCC, Ijeoma Egbunike, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday.

She said the operation was carried out by the commission’s enforcement team led by the Director of Operations, Femi Ajala, with the support of armed police officers from the Federal Capital Territory Command.

According to Egbunike, the commission received information that pirated books were being stored and distributed from the location.

Acting on the information, the enforcement team moved into the market and discovered a large quantity of books suspected to have been reproduced and sold without the permission of the authors, publishers and other copyright owners.

The team seized and evacuated several cartons and bags of the suspected pirated books before sealing the store.

Ajala said the operation was part of the NCC’s intelligence-led efforts to fight copyright piracy and protect authors, publishers and other owners of intellectual property.

He described piracy as a major threat to Nigeria’s creative and publishing industries, noting that it denies legitimate copyright owners income from their works and discourages investment in the creative sector.

‘The operation was intelligence-driven. We received information about the location and acted on that intelligence. The volume of books recovered shows the seriousness of the situation and the need for sustained enforcement,’ he said.

Ajala said the commission would continue to track down individuals and groups involved in the illegal reproduction, distribution and commercial sale of copyrighted works.

He added that further investigations would begin immediately to determine the ownership and source of the seized books, as well as how they were distributed.

He said the investigation would also help the commission identify those responsible for the illegal activities so they could face the law.

The NCC also warned people involved in the unauthorised commercial use of copyrighted materials that it would continue to use intelligence, surveillance and enforcement operations to disrupt their activities.

Ajala said the commission’s operations would not be limited to known piracy locations, adding that it would also monitor other areas where pirated books could enter the market, including educational institutions.

The commission stressed that fighting book piracy is not only about enforcement but also about protecting Nigerian authors, publishers, researchers, teachers and the wider creative industry.

The NCC urged members of the public, publishers, copyright owners and other stakeholders to provide useful information that could help expose and disrupt piracy networks.

Some of the books seized during the raid include Purple Hibiscus, The Magic of Thinking Big, New General Mathematics for Senior and Junior Secondary Schools 1, 2 and 3, Stan Basic Science and Technology for Primary School Workbook 3, Lantern Steps to Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning 3, Classic Basic Technology for Junior Secondary Schools 3, Active Basic Science and Technology for Junior Secondary Schools Workbook 2, Queen Primer Royal School Series Part 1, WABP Physical and Health Education for Primary Schools 1 and 4, Learn Mathematics 5, New School Physics for Senior Secondary Schools, MacMillan Champion Primary Mathematics 3 and 4 and Tonad Essential Commerce for Senior Secondary Schools, among others.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has distributed life jackets and other relief materials to families affected by the Gorau boat mishap in Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of NEMA Sokoto Operations Office, Mr Dahiru Kure, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Sokoto.

Kure said the agency conducted the direct distribution of humanitarian relief assistance to families affected by the recent boat mishap in Gorau village.

He said the intervention was part of the Federal Government’s response to the incident, adding that life jackets were distributed to the people of Gorau in order to enhance safety for boat operators and passengers crossing the river.

According to him, the Head of NEMA Sokoto Operations Office, Mr Tukur Abubakar, represented the Director General of NEMA, Hajiya Zubaida Umar at the distribution ceremony.

He explained that the intervention was the Federal Government’s way of identifying with the affected families and cushioning the impact of the unfortunate incident on them.

He further said many of the affected persons, mostly youths, were involved in the mishap while crossing the river to their farms.

He stressed that the intervention demonstrates the Federal Government’s concern for their plight and commitment to supporting communities affected by disasters.

Kure added that the DG emphasised the importance of ensuring that boat operators and passengers adhere to safety measures, particularly the use of life jackets, to prevent loss of lives during river crossings.

He said the Gorau village head, Alhaji Aliyu Magaji, who was himself a survivor of the boat mishap, expressed appreciation on behalf of the affected persons and the entire Gorau community to the Federal Government for the support.

Kure highlighted that the relief items distributed comprised rice, beans, spaghetti, salt and tomato paste, while the non-food items comprised clothes for adults and children , detergents, sleeping materials, mosquito nets among others.

The PRO explained that the village head subsequently called on the Sarkin Ruwa, the leader of the boat operators, to monitor proper and consistent use of life jackets by boat operators and passengers.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that no fewer than 65 persons drowned when the boat carrying 85 passengers on their way to rice farm capsized on Aug. 20.

Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umar Radda, has assured President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Katsina State’s commitment to mobilise for his re-election in the 2027 presidential election.

Governor Radda gave the assurance on Saturday during the flag-off and inauguration of the Katsina State structure of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement at People’s Square, Katsina.

The Governor thanked the Founder and Convener of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, for selecting Katsina as the first state for the northern launch of the initiative.

According to Governor Radda, Katsina remains a strong base of the All Progressives Congress, with all elected political office holders in the state being members of the APC and the party maintaining a united structure across the 34 LGAs.

‘Katsina State is an APC state. Every elected person in Katsina State is a member of the All Progressives Congress, and I want to assure you that Katsina State has a special attachment to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,’ Governor Radda said.

He traced the political relationship between President Tinubu and Katsina to historical ties with northern leaders. The Governor recalled President Tinubu’s role in the political process that led to the emergence of the late President Muhammadu Buhari from Daura in 2015.

Governor Radda also referenced the longstanding relationship between President Tinubu and the late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, and the ties that continued with the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, noting that such relationships have contributed to national unity and political cooperation.

Linking the choice of Katsina for the launch to the state’s political history, Governor Radda cited the intervention of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in the Niger Delta through the Presidential Amnesty Programme as an example of collaboration between the North and the Niger Delta that promoted peace.

On governance, the Governor said the economic reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration have provided states with increased resources and created room for greater financial autonomy for Local Governments. He said this would improve service delivery at the grassroots in areas such as roads, education, healthcare, water supply, sanitation and markets.

‘President Bola Ahmed Tinubu came with a lot of reforms which have enabled state governors to do a lot of good work for the people of our states. We should remain ever grateful to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,’ Governor Radda stated.

He urged citizens to focus on the development benefits of the reforms.

Governor Radda further assured the President of Katsina’s support.

Families of police officers residing at Kontagora Road, Gawon Nama, Sokoto, on Sunday protested what they described as the unauthorised demolition of their houses, allegedly by the state government.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the protesters, comprising wives and children of police officers residing in the quarters, displayed placards calling for the intervention of relevant authorities.

Speaking to journalists, the wife of late Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Halliru Gwarzo, Hajiya Safiya Halliru, said they heard an unusual noise around the premises in the early hours of Sunday.

‘On coming out of our houses, we saw a bulldozer, accompanied by Civil Defence personnel, demolishing our perimeter fence.

‘Most of the husbands were not around, some were on duty, while others have gone to the Mosque for the dawn Prayer,’ she said.

Halliru said they had been living in the quarters for more than two decades, adding that even if the houses were to be sold, the residents deserved to be contacted before taken any action.

She appealed to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Rilwan Tunde Disu, to intervene, recalling that her husband died in active service and that his family did not deserve to be treated that way.

Another protester, Mrs. Hadiza Abdulrazak-Gulma, said the matter had been before the court for two years adding that they had received a court notice indicating that proceedings would commence on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

‘We received a court notice that the court will commence hearing on Tuesday. Unfortunately, we woke up to this unfortunate incident even before the court proceedings began,’ she said.

Abdulrazak-Gulma also appealed to the IGP to intervene, noting that their husbands had sacrificed their lives in the service of their father land.

A NAN correspondent who monitored the situation at the scene reports that most of the houses were being occupied by serving senior police officers, including a Commissioner of Police.

When contacted by newsmen, the Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Mr. Nasiru Dantsoho, said he was not aware of the incident and therefore had no comment to make.

A cross-section of protesters claimed that colleagues of their husbands in other states had already been issued Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) for similar residential quarters, questioning why their counterparts in Sokoto were yet to receive the same benefit.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu ‘to direct the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, the National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO) and the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO) to urgently account for over ?78.8 billion in public funds reportedly diverted, unaccounted for or irregularly spent.’

The grave allegations are documented in the 2024 Annual Report published by the Auditor-General of the Federation on 7 August 2026. According to the Auditor-General, the findings in the report variously covered periods between January and December 2023 and ending on 31 December 2024.

SERAP urged the President ‘to direct the Ministry and NCTO to publish the full records and audit trail of the ?33.751 billion 2023 cash transfers, including the name of the beneficiaries, payments, verification, authorisations and reconciliation, and to explain the failure to provide REMITA records to the Auditor-General.’

SERAP urged him ‘to direct the Ministry and NCTO to account for the ?36.744 billion payments made without prepayment audit, the ?4.616 billion in unsupported expenditures, the ?350.182 million enrolment payments, the ?89.511 million store purchases and the ?17.422 million diesel advances.’

SERAP also urged him ‘to direct appropriate anticorruption agencies to promptly and thoroughly investigate the ?76.24 billion in questionable and unaccounted-for expenditures at NCTO and ?2.55 billion at NASSCO, and to ensure the recovery and remittance of any public funds improperly spent, diverted or lost.’

In the letter dated 5 September 2026 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: ‘Anyone suspected to be responsible should be sanctioned and prosecuted as appropriate if sufficient admissible evidence is established, irrespective of status, position or institutional affiliation.

SERAP said, ‘Every naira identified in the report must be properly accounted for, and any public funds found to have been diverted, misapplied or ‘paid to ineligible or fictitious beneficiaries’ must be fully recovered and remitted to the Treasury.

The letter, read in part: ‘The Ministry should be directed to publish a clear schedule showing the amount recovered, the date of recovery, the institution responsible and the Treasury account into which each recovered amount was paid.

‘We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions and measures including before the ECOWAS Court, and the Inspection Panel, World Bank Accountability Mechanism to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest.

‘There is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these very serious allegations.

‘The findings raise fundamental questions about the integrity, transparency and effectiveness of Nigeria’s social protection system, particularly where billions of naira are intended to provide assistance to poor and vulnerable households/beneficiaries.

‘The failure to provide basic payment records and beneficiary information capable of establishing that public funds reached genuine beneficiaries undermines public confidence in the cash-transfer programme and creates a serious risk that funds intended for some of Nigeria’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens may have been lost, misapplied or paid to persons who were not entitled to receive them.

‘The failure to subject billions of naira in payments to prepayment audit, the absence of supporting documents for several expenditures, irregular procurement processes, and payments without evidence of delivery also raise serious concerns about the adequacy of existing safeguards over public funds.

‘Nigerians have the right to know the state-by-state beneficiary numbers, amounts disbursed, payment dates, failed and reversed transactions, amounts returned to the Treasury and all administrative and transaction costs incurred under the cash-transfer programme.

‘The Ministry and NCTO also ought to explain if there is any independent mechanism for receiving and investigating complaints from persons who were listed as beneficiaries but did not receive payments, as well as persons whose identities or bank accounts may have been used without their knowledge.

‘SERAP further urges you to direct the Ministry to publish a comprehensive and regularly updated register of all beneficiaries of the cash transfer programmes, subject to appropriate safeguards for personal data and the privacy of vulnerable persons, together with sufficiently detailed and anonymised information.

‘SERAP is particularly concerned about the Auditor-General’s finding that the NCTO made ?33.751 billion in cash transfers to 3,295,207 households and beneficiaries in 35 states in 2023 without evidence confirming receipt of the money by the beneficiaries.

‘The Auditor-General found that the NCTO failed to provide REMITA statements needed to authenticate the payments and establish whether the beneficiaries were genuine and eligible. The audit report also raised concerns about incomplete beneficiary information and frustration of the audit process.

‘The Federal Government must reconcile the payments against the National Social Register and National Beneficiary Register and independently verify the identity and eligibility of beneficiaries, including identifying any duplicate, fictitious, deceased, ineligible or otherwise irregular beneficiaries.

‘According to the Auditor-General’s report, the NCTO paid ?4.616 billion for various expenditures without adequate supporting documentation. The Auditor-General is concerned that ‘the money may have been diverted.’

‘The NCTO also ‘paid ?36.74 billion in December 2023 without prepayment audit or internal audit checks, contrary to applicable financial regulations.’ The NCTO ‘paid ?89.51 million for store items that were not delivered or entered in the store ledger’. The Auditor-General found that the store ledger had not been updated since 2020.

‘The NCTO also ‘disbursed ?350.18 million to state coordinators for the enrolment of unbanked beneficiaries’, but the Auditor-General is concerned that ‘the money remained unaccounted for, with no adequate beneficiary lists, acknowledgements or other supporting documentation.’

‘The NCTO ‘spent ?17.42 million through cash advances to staff for the purchase of diesel.’ The Auditor-General said the expenditure should have been subjected to the applicable procurement process and that the procured items could not be traced to the stores.

‘The NCTO ‘paid ?280.42 million as mobilisation and advance payment to Payment Service Providers without an Advance Payment Guarantee.’ The Auditor-General found no evidence that due process was followed in their selection.

‘The NCTO also ‘failed to account for ?393.71 million in unutilised funds disbursed to nine states for beneficiary enrolment activities.’ Although the NCTO reportedly claimed that the funds were returned to the Treasury, the Auditor-General found no evidence showing that the money was credited to the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

‘NASSCO also ‘paid ?2.24 billion paid through 158 vouchers without prepayment audit.’

‘NASSCO also ‘paid ?44.55 million for laptops that were not delivered or entered in the store ledger, ?19.76 million for advertisements without evidence that the publications were made, and ?141.01 million to two contractors for software without NITDA clearance.

‘NASSCO also ‘paid ?16.93 million paid to 56 officers for National Social Register data reconciliation without supporting documentation and ?14.53 million paid for staff reimbursement relating to National Social Register validation and verification activities without supporting documentation.’

‘NASSCO ‘paid ?14.53 million as reimbursement to one officer rather than individually to the 55 staff concerned, with no acknowledgements of receipt.’

‘NASSCO ‘awarded ?27.56 million to an unqualified contractor for the design and printing of materials and paid ?44 million in insurance premiums to two companies without evidence of the premium payments.’

‘SERAP is particularly concerned that the audit findings reveal repeated failures of basic financial and administrative controls, including the failure to conduct mandatory prepayment audits, missing payment and procurement records, payments for goods and services that could not be verified, inadequate beneficiary documentation, questionable procurement processes and unaccounted-for public funds.

‘Transparent investigation and accountability are especially important where the public funds concerned are part of programmes designed to provide social assistance to millions of poor and vulnerable Nigerians.

‘Section 13 of the Nigerian Constitution imposes a responsibility on government to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of Chapter II of the Constitution. Section 15(5) requires the State to abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power. Section 14 further provides that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.

‘Nigeria is also a state party to the UN Convention against Corruption and the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption, which require effective measures to prevent, investigate and sanction corruption and promote accountability and transparency in the management of public resources.

‘Article 9 of the UN Convention requires appropriate systems of public procurement and public finances founded on transparency, competition and objective criteria. Article 10 requires measures to enhance transparency in public administration, including access to information. Article 13 recognises the role of civil society and public participation in preventing and combating corruption.’

A 34-year-old convicted cocaine trafficker who allegedly disguised himself as a herbal tea businessman has been arrested in Lagos for masterminding cocaine shipments to Saudi Arabia, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA said on Sunday.

The suspect, identified as Dunu Bethel Ebubechukwu, was arrested during a sting operation at Article Market, opposite Trade Fair Market, in the Ojo area of Lagos, following an intelligence-led investigation into a 1.2kg cocaine shipment intercepted at a courier company in Lagos on July 31.

The cocaine, concealed inside phone chargers, was destined for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In a statement on Sunday, NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) launched a painstaking investigation after the seizure, which eventually led to the arrest of the alleged mastermind.

‘Following the interception of a 1.2kg cocaine consignment concealed in phone chargers and destined for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at a courier company in Lagos on 31st July 2026, operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation in NDLEA have successfully tracked the mastermind through painstaking intelligence-led operations,’ Babafemi said.

He stated that Ebubechukwu was arrested on Friday, September 4, while posing as a herbal tea businessman.

According to Babafemi, the suspect admitted in his statement that he had masterminded some illicit drug shipments in the past.

He added that the suspect discarded his telephone SIM card after learning that the latest cocaine consignment had been intercepted by NDLEA operatives.

Babafemi explained that further investigation revealed that Ebubechukwu was not new to the Agency, having first been arrested in 2011 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

He said the suspect was arrested at the airport after ingesting 900 grammes of cocaine and 130 grammes of heroin in an attempt to travel to Austria.

‘He was prosecuted for the crime, convicted and sentenced to five years in jail. He thereafter changed his name to Dunu Bethel Ebubechukwu and returned to the criminal trade,’ Babafemi stated.

He further disclosed that a search of the suspect’s residence at 6 Yemishola Street, Ejigbo, Lagos, on Friday led to the recovery of phone chargers similar to those allegedly used to conceal the intercepted cocaine.

Babafemi said the internal components of the chargers had been removed to create space for the concealment of drugs.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Anambra Command, says it has deployed personnel to strategic locations in Onitsha and its environs, ahead of the temporary closure of the Niger Bridge for maintenance work.

The bridge is scheduled to be closed to traffic from Sept. 7 to Sept. 21 to facilitate the timely completion of the project.

The state Sector Commander of the corps, Mrs Bridget Asekhauno, disclosed this on Sunday during a road audit of major routes connecting the Second Niger Bridge.

Asekhauno said the personnel deployment was part of the proactive measures by the corps, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, to ensure effective traffic management, smooth vehicular movement and safety of road users during the two-week closure.

She was accompanied during the road audit by the Sector Head of Operations, Federal Ministry of Works, Anambra, Mr Timothy Emenike, his Delta counterpart and the Commander, Anambra State Traffic Management Agency.

The audit focused on assessing alternative routes and identifying areas requiring urgent intervention.

The sector commander urged motorists to make use of identified alternative routes connecting to the Second Niger Bridge.

She listed the routes to include Nkpor Old Road, Obosi Road, Onitsha-Owerri Road from Upper Iweka and Atani Road through Uga Junction to Harbour Industrial Layout.

Asekhauno assured motorists that FRSC, in collaboration with other traffic management agencies and stakeholders in Anambra and Delta, was prepared to manage traffic and respond promptly to emergencies throughout the period of the closure.

‘Motorists are advised to plan their journeys, obey traffic directives from traffic control personnel, and avoid unnecessary stopping or parking along the routes.

‘We are also appealing to motorists to exercise patience and refrain from dangerous driving.

‘They should also cooperate with personnel deployed in strategic locations during the period of the project.

‘The cooperation and compliance of road users will help us achieve safe and seamless movement of traffic during the period,’ Asekhauno said.

The Police Command in Ondo State has confirmed the death of three siblings at a farm located around the Owena Army Barracks in Akure South Local Government Area of the state.

DSP Abayomi Jimoh, command’s Spokesperson, who made this known in a statement on Sunday, said the incident happened on Friday.

Jimoh said the victims included 11-year-old twins who left the farm for home, but were discovered missing when their father returned home.

‘The victims, identified as Joshua and Jacob Jonah, both 11 years; and Blessing Jonah, 5 years, reportedly accompanied their father, Samuel Jonah, to the farm.

‘A search was subsequently conducted and on Sept.5, the bodies of the three children were discovered around the bank of a small river within the farm.

‘Meanwhile, the bodies have since been taken by their father for burial,’ he said.

Jimoh, however, said the command was continuing to document the circumstances surrounding the incident, while investigation was ongoing to establish the exact circumstances leading to their death.

‘The command extends its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and urges members of the public, particularly parents and guardians, to exercise greater vigilance over children around rivers, ponds and other bodies of water,’ he said.

Gov. Uba Sani of Kaduna State says late Chief Gani Fawehinmi made significant contributions to Nigeria’s democracy by keeping the political space open.

Sani stated this at the public presentation of a book titled, ‘Gani Fawehinmi and Uba Sani: A Tale of Mentor and Mentee,’ in Kaduna on Saturday.

He recalled that Fawehinmi spearheaded the legal struggle against stringent conditions imposed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on political associations seeking registration.

The governor said many human rights and pro-democracy activists became disillusioned during the period, but Fawehinmi refused to allow frustration to turn into despair.

He quoted Fawehinmi as urging activists to have faith in the judiciary, rule of law and democracy, while using democratic processes to defend democracy.

Sani said Fawehinmi and former Kaduna State governor, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, subsequently approached the courts to challenge INEC’s position.

He said the legal battle lasted more than two years before the Court of Appeal delivered judgment in their favour in 2002.

The governor recalled that INEC appealed the judgment to the Supreme Court, which also ruled in their favour in January 2003.

According to him, the verdict opened Nigeria’s political space and paved the way for the emergence of more political parties.

Sani urged Nigerians to remember those who fought for political plurality whenever new parties emerge and citizens exercise their rights to political association.

He said many Nigerians exercising political freedom today might not know that such freedoms were secured through difficult struggles by people like Fawehinmi.

‘Democracy has a history, and every freedom has a cost,’ Sani said.

The governor urged activists, politicians and academics to periodically remember Nigerians who fought and sacrificed for democracy.

He described Fawehinmi as not only a fighter for political freedom but also a committed pan Nigerian who believed in developing every part of the country.

The Anambra State Government has given landowners until December 31, 2026, to recertify their old Certificates of Occupancy (C of Os), warning that failure to meet the deadline could restrict access to key land transactions.

As reported by Nairametrics on Sunday, the State Ministry of Lands disclosed this in a public notice dated September 1, 2026, and signed by its Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Nkeiru Mokwe.

According to the ministry, the old land administration system will be shut down indefinitely after the deadline, after which holders of unrecertified C of Os will no longer be able to process certain transactions through the Ministry of Lands.

The affected transactions include mortgages, Deeds of Assignment, Certified True Copies (CTCs), registration of Irrevocable Powers of Attorney, and other transactions requiring processing by the ministry.

The ministry said titleholders must have their documents duly recertified and their records captured in the Anambra State Geographic Information System (ANAMGIS) database before they can continue to access the affected services under the new system.

‘Be advised that the old system will be shutdown indefinitely on the 31st day of December, 2026, after which the holders of the old Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) will no longer be able to carry out any transactions such as Mortgages, Deed of Assignment, Certified True Copy (CTC), Registration of Power of Attorney etc., unless their documents have been duly recertified and captured in the ANAMGIS database,’ the notice read in part.

The ministry said the recertification exercise is ongoing and urged landowners who have not commenced the process to submit their applications without delay.

It explained that the exercise is aimed at updating existing land records and integrating them into the state’s current digital land administration system through ANAMGIS.

Landowners with old C of Os are therefore expected to complete the recertification process and ensure that their records are captured in the database before the December 31 deadline.

The ministry advised titleholders not to wait until the deadline, warning that failure to complete the process could create difficulties in accessing land administration services once the old system is shut down.

However, the notice does not state that an old Certificate of Occupancy will automatically become invalid on December 31.

Rather, the immediate consequence of failing to recertify is the restriction of access to specified land transactions requiring processing through the Ministry of Lands.