An Affidavit of Correction of Name in Nigeria is a crucial legal document used to formally declare and rectify discrepancies or errors in an individual's name as it appears on various official documents.
This could be due to typographical errors, the use of an alias, a change in marital status, or simply an inconsistency across different records.
It serves as a sworn statement made under oath, affirming the true and correct name of the deponent.
When is it required?
- Correction on Official Documents: To rectify misspelled names on birth certificates, academic certificates (e.g., WAEC, NECO, university degrees), passports, driver's licenses, or national identity cards.
- Banking and Financial Transactions: When there are name variations in bank accounts, investment records, or loan applications, especially when linking accounts or verifying identity.
- Employment Records: To ensure consistency in names across employment letters, salary accounts, and pension documents.
- Legal and Administrative Procedures: For probate matters, land transactions, immigration processes, or any situation where a consistent and correct name is legally required.
- Change of Name (e.g., Marriage): While a newspaper publication is often used for name changes due to marriage, an affidavit of correction can also be used to officially declare the new name and link it to the previous one for consistency across documents.
Legal Standing:
This affidavit is prepared in accordance with the Statutory Declarations Act of 1960, which governs the making of sworn statements in Nigeria.
The deponent makes the declaration conscientiously believing the statements to be true.
Presenting false information in an affidavit is a serious criminal offense, punishable under the relevant sections of the Penal Code or Criminal Code of Nigeria, and can lead to charges of perjury.
Procedure:
After generating this document, the deponent (the person whose name is being corrected or who is making the declaration on behalf of another) must personally take it to a High Court of Justice or a Magistrate Court within their judicial division (e.
g.
, Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt).
There, the deponent will sign the affidavit in the presence of a Commissioner for Oaths, who will then duly stamp and seal the document.
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