A Nigerian woman has gone viral online after sharing a heartbreaking video showing her distress upon discovering that a stranger had begun construction work on the land she legally purchased and developed several years ago in Delta State. The incident has sparked widespread conversations about land ownership disputes and fraudulent property dealings across the country.
The woman, identified as @gbemretonia on TikTok, posted an emotional clip documenting the shocking moment she arrived at her property only to see a new structure already underway. The video showed a foundation and a borehole being constructed on the plot she claimed to have invested in and fenced off shortly after purchase.
She Recalled Developing the Land Herself
In the viral footage, the distraught woman recounted how she had personally spent money years earlier to carry out drainage work and boundary demarcation on the land. She explained that she had been away for some time but never expected that anyone would encroach on her property or attempt to reclaim it unlawfully.
She described the discovery as a rude shock, emphasizing how painful it felt to return and see the plot she once proudly owned now being developed by a total stranger. According to her, it appeared that the new builder was acting as if they had full ownership rights to the property, complete with plans to erect a full building on it.
“I did this drainage with my money after buying this land. Now someone has started building on it like I never existed. They’ve even dug a borehole,” she lamented in the video, visibly heartbroken by the situation.
Construction Still Ongoing
The woman disclosed that the incident occurred in Immigration Estate, Delta State, an area known for residential development. Upon visiting the site, she found that construction workers were actively working on the foundation, suggesting that the builder was moving quickly to claim the property before any legal intervention could stop the project.
Despite her frustration, she tried to remain calm and even made a sarcastic comment thanking the unknown individual for “providing her with a new foundation and borehole.” Her reaction, though laced with humor, reflected the deep pain of seeing one’s hard-earned property being taken over by another person without notice or consent.
Her video, which has since gained thousands of reactions and comments, clearly showed visible signs of active construction — cement blocks, sand, and other materials scattered across the site — confirming that the new occupant had already begun significant building work before she arrived.
Mixed Reactions from Netizens
The video quickly spread across various social media platforms, with netizens expressing a mix of sympathy, outrage, and curiosity about the details of the case. Many users sympathized with her plight, urging her to take immediate legal action to recover the land and stop further construction. Some even offered to connect her with lawyers or property consultants experienced in handling similar land disputes.
However, others pointed out that the new builder might also be an unsuspecting victim, possibly deceived by fraudulent land agents or local land sellers (popularly known as “omo onile”) who may have sold the same plot to multiple buyers. They noted that land fraud remains one of the most common issues facing property owners in Nigeria, especially in urban and semi-urban areas.
“The builder may not even know the land was already sold to someone else. These land agents sell one plot to three different people sometimes,” one user commented, while another urged both parties to involve the police and local land authorities before the situation escalates further.
Legal experts who weighed in on the issue also advised the woman to retrieve all her purchase documents, receipts, and survey plans to support her ownership claim. Some encouraged her to seek a court injunction immediately to halt the ongoing construction until the rightful ownership could be determined by law.
Meanwhile, others used the opportunity to highlight the need for proper land documentation and verification before purchase, warning that informal transactions and lack of legal registration often lead to similar conflicts.
As of the latest update, it remains unclear whether the woman has identified the individual or group behind the construction. However, she expressed hope that justice would prevail and that her property would be restored to her rightful ownership.
The incident serves as yet another reminder of the importance of due diligence in land transactions across Nigeria, where overlapping sales and documentation fraud continue to cause emotional and financial losses for innocent buyers.
See the original post and reactions below;
@gbemretonia## [/p]
♬ original sound – Tonia