{
  "id": 14422948,
  "title": "Lands Commission cautions land buyers against fraud, urges due diligence",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/lands-commission-cautions-land-buyers-against-fraud-urges-due",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-14T10:04:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Adom Online",
    "slug": "adom-online",
    "url": "https://www.adomonline.com/lands-commission-cautions-land-buyers-against-fraud-urges-due-diligence/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Lands Commission has cautioned land buyers to be wary of fraud and disputes over ownership, advising thorough due diligence before purchasing property. Speaking on Citi FM, Surveyor Raphael Hokey, the Deputy Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission in charge of Operations, emphasized the importance of verifying ownership and legal status of land. Prospective buyers must conduct searches, physically inspect the property, and engage relevant stakeholders to establish ownership. Failure to do so could lead to dealing with individuals who lack legal authority to sell the property, especially when the land belongs to the state or has been vested in it. Hokey stressed that due diligence includes conducting searches at the Lands Commission, visiting the land, and engaging in thorough discussions to ensure it is not state or vested land. He cautioned that even if buyers suspect the property might be state-owned, conducting the search could reveal whether they are dealing with the rightful authorities, as some people have discovered they were wrongfully engaged with the property's owners.",
  "summary": "The Lands Commission has urged prospective land buyers to conduct thorough due diligence before purchasing property to avoid falling victim to fraud and disputes over ownership. The Commission warned that some individuals unlawfully sell state-owned and vested lands to unsuspecting buyers, exposing them to financial losses and potentially lengthy legal battles. Speaking on Accra-based Citi […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Adom Online",
        "title": "Customary land accounts for 80% of Ghana’s land – Lands Commission official",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/customary-land-accounts-for-80-of-ghanas-land-lands-commission",
        "published": "2026-10-14T10:01:07.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "Customary ownership accounts for 80% of land; it complicates land administration – Lands Commission",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/customary-ownership-accounts-for-80-of-land-it-complicates-land",
        "published": "2026-10-14T10:07:41.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}