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In Senegal, buying a plot of land has become a real ordeal. Behind the dream of having a roof over one's head for one's family often lies a formidable trap: land fraud. Fake developers, falsified documents, multiple sales of the same plot, illegal occupations… the land sector is now riddled with anarchy that plunges thousands of citizens into despair.
In Dakar, as in many other parts of the country, the courts are overwhelmed with land-related cases. Men and women who have saved for years find themselves ruined after being deceived by individuals posing as real estate developers or municipal officials.
The Srour family tragedy
The latest tragedy has struck the Srour family. Mohamed Ali Srour, a renowned Senegalese photographer, thought he had secured his family's future. According to his account, in 2016 he purchased land from a woman he trusted completely. She even oversaw the construction of the house. In 2019, the family moved into this house located on the VDN (Voie de Dégagement Nord), a home now filled with memories.
Today, the awakening is brutal. The true legal owner of the plot has come forward to reclaim his property. Worse still, the General Directorate for Land Use Monitoring and Control (DSCOS) has ordered the demolition of the house. Victims of a breach of trust and a devastating land fraud, the Srour family is forced to leave. They must now watch the walls they thought were theirs crumble.
Thiès, a new hotbed for land fraudsters
Like many cities across the country, Thiès has become a haven for land fraudsters. These networks claim countless victims among citizens simply seeking to provide housing for their families. In the railway capital, the phenomenon is reaching alarming proportions. The High Court is dealing with hundreds of cases related to land disputes. The offenses include forgery and the use of forged documents, illegal occupation of land, fraud, breach of trust, irregular land subdivisions, and illegal sales of state-owned land.
Many "Gorgorlou" ruined by a fake developer
Before the Thiès criminal court, the case of fishmonger S. Ndiaye, defrauded by A. Fall, a bogus real estate developer, was brought up. After years of hard work, this mother was looking for a plot of land to build a house for her children. The fake developer offered her a plot in the Massamba Guèye neighborhood. To reassure his client, he even showed her the site. Eager to become a homeowner, the woman agreed to pay 4 million CFA francs, making an initial deposit before requesting the land title.
But behind this transaction lay a deception. The developer had falsified the deeds of transfer before pocketing the remaining money. A few days later, as the woman was clearing the plot, another man appeared, claiming to be the true owner. Shocked, S. Ndiaye returned to the seller, who explained that he had "made a mistake with the plot" and promised to give her another. A promise that was never kept. All of this mother's savings vanished.
Fake municipal agents are infecting the environment
Mr. D. Diallo experienced the same misfortune. The young man claims to have bought a plot of land for 5 million FCFA from an individual posing as a municipal agent. It was only when he went to register the property with the Land Registry that he discovered the land already belonged to someone else. The fake agent had given him forged administrative documents to convince him. Since this affair, Mr. Diallo says he has lost all faith in the real estate sector.
The shattered dream of several emigrants
Emigrants are also among the victims of land scams. The case of T. Faye is a good example. Having returned from abroad to build his house in Thiès, he believed he had fulfilled a lifelong dream. After buying a plot of land for 8 million CFA francs, he invested over 10 million CFA francs in the construction work.
As he was putting the finishing touches on his project, a man appeared with authentic documents claiming ownership of the land. The case ended up in court. The papers held by the emigrant turned out to be forgeries. The court ruled in favor of the true owner. The emigrant, T. Faye, ultimately lost his plot of land, his unfinished house, and over 18 million CFA francs.
Thousands of victims across the country
Cases of land fraud are multiplying across Senegal. Some plots of land are sold to two or even more people at the same time. Others are subject to forged titles, irregular deliberations, or fraudulent agreements. As early as 2015, nearly 7,000 victims had joined together within the National Federation of Victims of Real Estate Developers of Senegal (FNVPI). At the time, the losses were estimated at 2.5 billion CFA francs. Today, with the proliferation of private real estate developers, the damage is likely even greater.
Many observers believe this situation stems from a lack of oversight in the land sector. Numerous plots of land are now being sold with simple municipal resolutions, sometimes even without administrative approval. This leads to a surge in land disputes in the courts, and citizens continue to fall prey to fraudulent networks.
The urgent need for reform
Land fraud has become one of the biggest nightmares for Senegalese people seeking housing. Despite arrests and convictions, the networks continue to thrive, preying on the desperation of citizens willing to sacrifice everything to own a plot of land. In a context where every Senegalese dreams of homeownership, many are now calling for a thorough reform of the land system, better regulation of real estate developers, and enhanced security for transactions to protect the population from land grabbers.
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