The UK government has recently updated its list of unclaimed estates, featuring properties and assets of deceased individuals from various countries, including Nigeria.
Released on March 24, this update reveals 5,806 unclaimed estates, each subject to a 30-year limit from the date of death. If no claims are made within this period, the estates are removed.
The Bona Vacantia division (BVD) of the Government Legal Department oversees these estates. The list is refreshed daily, with new estates added at the top and older ones sorted alphabetically after one day.
Estates are removed when a claim is validated or the 30-year deadline passes. The BVD handles estates of those who die without a will or blood relatives.
To claim an estate, you must prove your relationship to the deceased. The UK government outlines a clear order of entitlement:
- Spouse or civil partner
- Children, grandchildren, and further direct descendants
- Parents
- Full siblings or their children (nieces and nephews)
- Half-siblings or their children
- Grandparents
- Uncles and aunts or their children (first cousins)
- Half-uncles and half-aunts or their children (first cousins of the half blood)
For example, a first cousin can only claim if no closer relatives, like a niece or nephew, exist. Without a valid will, estates are distributed based on this priority.
The updated list names several deceased Nigerians, including:
- Julius Taiwo Akinyeye (died 1995, from Ondo state)
- Julius Ajidahuan (died 2009, bachelor)
- Adenike Adebiyi (died 2004)
- Akanni Jeremiah Adejumo (died 2017)
- Solomon Adekanmibi (died 2021, bachelor)
- Richard Adesanya (died 2011)
- Ganiyu Akambi Aderinto (died 2016)
- Jeff Adhekeh (died 2021)
- Isaac Ademola Adio (died 2012, bachelor)
If you believe you’re eligible to claim an estate, act swiftly and submit documentation proving your connection to the deceased. Follow the UK government’s guidelines to secure your inheritance. For further details, visit the official UK government website.