LAGOS STATE ADMINISTRATOR-GENERAL LAW

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LIST OF LAWS OF LAGOS, [ALPHABETICAL]  

ADMINISTRATOR-GENERAL LAW OF LAGOS STATE

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

PART 1 – Preliminary

1.       Citation and application.           

2.       Interpretation.   

PART 2 – The Administrator-General

3.       Appointment. Corporation sole. Appearance in court.  

4.       Limitation of the liability of the Administrator-General.  

5.       Liability of the Government.     

6.       Non-liability of Administrator-General and Government in certain cases.           

7.       Sale of goods of third party.     

8.       No security or oath required from Administrator-General.         

9.       Sole executor. 

10.     Grants to Administrator-General by title.          

11.     Effect of grants to Administrator-General. Effects of grants or resealing of grants to Federal or State Administrator-General.          

12.     Entry of Administrator-General on books of a company not to constitute notice of a trust.         

PART 3 – Grant of Probate or of Letters of Administration

13.     Administrator-General to petition court. Schedule.        

14.     Entering on an estate before grant.        

15.     Application for grant within one month of death of deceased.    

16.     Uncertainty as to succession.    

17.     Grant to persons appearing.     

18.     Grant to Administrator-General notwithstanding claim by other person. 

19.     Transfer by private executor or administrator to Administrator-General.

PART 4 – Revocation of Letters of Administration

20.     Revocation of grant to Administrator-General.  

21.     Costs of Administrator-General on revocation of grant. 

22.     On revocation previous acts of Administrator-General voidable but not void.    

23.     Payments made by Administrator-General prior to revocation of grant. 

PART 5 – Administration

24.     Notice to creditors and beneficiaries. Form of claims. Wages due to deceased to be paid by person responsible.           

25.     Disposal of assets received from outside the State.       

26.     Barring of claims.         

27.     Costs of Administrator-General.           

28.     Power to apply to court for directions. 

29.     Administrator-General to keep accounts.          

30.     Right of interested persons to inspect.   

31.     Payment of money into prescribed bank and investment of surplus.       

32.     Administrator-General to file final account.       

33.     Power to file interim account.   

34.     Administrator-General to file interim account.   

PART 6 – Distribution of Residue

35.     Distribution of proceeds of estate.        

36.     Assets of persons not domiciled in Nigeria payable to executor abroad. If domiciled in foreign country payable to consul. If domiciled in Commonwealth country payable to Government of that country. 

37.     Disposal of proceeds of intestate estates without heirs or next-of-kin. What must be stated. Service on Administrator-General. Hearing. Grounds of petition.    

38.     Order on petition. Direction to Accountant-General.     

39.     Rival claims to residue. 

40.     Assets unclaimed for five years.

41.     Power to Governor to dispose of same.           

PART 7 – Fees, Expenses and Costs

42.     Fees.   

43.     Expenses.        

44.     Right of Administrator-General to costs.           

PART 8 – Estates of Deceased, Expatriate Officers

45.     Duty of Director-General to notify deaths. Administration of estate by Administrator-General. Ex-officio agent of Administrator-General.

46.     Limitation of administration. Notice by agent. Duties of agent. Notice to creditors and proof of claims.   

47.     Collection of assets.     

48.     Certain articles to be sent to Crown Agents.     

49.     Rendering of accounts and order of court.        

50.     Change of administration may be ordered by the court. 

PART 9 – Administration of Small Estates

51.     Power to administer where assets do not exceed N100.           

52.     Power to remit fees in estates not exceeding N100.      

PART 10 – Miscellaneous

53.     Order of court equivalent to a decree.  

54.     Power to make rules.   

55.     Power to Administrator-General to appoint agents. 

Security. Remuneration.      

56.     Power to administer oath.        

57.     False evidence.

58.     Divisional Officer may take charge of assets.    

59.     Wages or salary not exceeding N20 may be paid to relatives of deceased in certain cases.        

60.     Annual report of Administrator-General.           

61.     Rights and liabilities of Administrator-General.  

62.     Saving.

Schedule         

ADMINISTRATOR-GENERAL LAW

A Law to provide for the appointment, powers and duties of an Administrator-General of the State.

[W.R.L. 1959 Cap. 2. W.N. 10 of 1964. L.S.L.N. 16 of 1972.]

[1st October, 1960]        [Commencement]

PART 1 – Preliminary

1.       Citation and application

(1)     This Law may be cited as the Administrator-General Law.

(2)     This Law shall apply to any estate in respect of which a grant of probate or letters of administration may be granted by the High Court.

2.       Interpretation

In this Law, unless the context otherwise requires—

“Administrator-General” means the Administrator-General of the Lagos State appointed under this Law and includes an Assistant Administrator-General;

“agent” means an agent of the Administrator-General duly appointed under the provisions of this Law;

“assets” means all property movable and immovable of a deceased person which is chargeable with and applicable to the payment of his debts and legacies or available for distribution amongst his heirs and next-of-kin;

“court” means the High Court;

“Director-General” means the Director-General of the Ministry in which the deceased person was employed in the civil service of the State;

“estate” means all interests in land and chattels real and all goods, chattels, moneys, choses in action and other property whatsoever;

“expatriate officer” means any person in the civil service of the Lagos State not being a native;

“Federal Administrator-General” means the Federal authority empowered to apply for grants of representation in respect of the estates in Nigeria of deceased persons;

“letters of administration” means any letters of administration, whether general or with a copy of the will annexed or limited in time or otherwise;

“next-of-kin” includes a widow or widower of a deceased person or any other person, who by law would be entitled to letters of administration in preference to a creditor or legatee of the deceased;

“property” includes goods, choses in action, land and every kind of property whether real or personal and every kind of estate and interest present or future, vested or contingent;

“taxing officer” means the Chief Registrar of the court or any officer duly appointed to act for such officer;

“unrepresented estate” means—

(a)     the estate of every person who shall die intestate and whose next-of-kin (or where such next-of-kin is a minor, his guardian) shall be unknown or shall be absent from Nigeria without having an attorney therein or if in Nigeria and known, shall have refused or neglected for a period of one month after the death of the deceased to apply to the court for letters of administration;

(b)     the estate of every person who shall die having made a will, when owing to any cause it shall be necessary to appoint an administrator cum testamento annexo or de bonis non of such estate and the person entitled to such letters of administration shall be unknown or shall if in Nigeria and known, refuse or shall neglect for one month after the death of the testator to apply to the court for such letters of administration or shall be absent from Nigeria without having an attorney therein; and

(c)     every estate whereof the executors or administrator shall be absent from Nigeria without having an attorney therein;

(d)     every estate where the deceased has named the Administrator-General as the sole executor of his will:

Provided that no estate in respect of which a grant of representation has been made to a consular officer under the provisions of section 2 of the Consular Conventions Act, shall be deemed to be an unrepresented estate.

[L.F.N. Cap. 65.]

LAWS OF LAGOS STATE

LAWS OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA