How to Get an Affidavit Online in Nigeria

Gone are the days when you have to visit the Court in person in order to obtain an affidavit. The Oyo State High Court of Justice has launched an e-affidavit system in Nigeria which means that you can create an affidavit online without visiting the Court. The platform, known as OyoCoMis, was launched in May 2022 and has been very efficient.

While outside the country, I was able to use the e-affidavit system to create affidavits while working on some clients’ instructions and the process was really smooth.

1. Does one need to reside in Oyo State in order to use the OyoCoMis electronic affidavit system?

The good news is that in many cases, you would be able to use an affidavit obtained in any High Court in Nigeria for many purposes that require affidavits. This means that you do not have to travel to a specific state to obtain an affidavit. In other words, an affidavit obtained in Lagos State for instance could be legally used in Abuja FCT.

A peculiar circumstance where you might need to depose to an affidavit and file it in a specific state is where the affidavit is part of a court process for litigation. In such a case, it is quite logical to depose to an affidavit and file it together with the court processes in that state.

What is an affidavit?

An affidavit is simply a written statement declared on oath. The person making the statement swears on oath before someone who is authorized to administer oaths (such as a commissioner for oaths in the Court or notary public). The sworn document (affidavit) is usually required by law for several purposes.

You can use the Oyo State e-affidavit system to obtain an affidavit online for various purposes.

2. OyoCoMis has the following affidavit templates which would make creating your affidavit quite easy:

• Statutory declaration of age
• Declaration of marriage
• Change of signature
• Affidavit of bachelorhood
• Affidavit of spinsterhood
• Correction of name on birth certificate
• Biometric update
• Correction of SIM registration details
• Change of vehicle engine number
• Change of name (click here to see a step-by-step guide on how to change your name in Nigeria)
• Change of ownership (vehicle)
• Confirmation of name
• Correction of name
• Correction of date of birth
• Rearrangement of name
• Loss of passport
• Damaged Passport
• Illiterate declaration of age
• Illiterate change of name
• Affidavit of divorce
• Loss of SIM
• Affidavit of single mother
• Proof of death
• Change of signature
• Good conduct
• Vehicle plate number
• Bidding
• Deletion from quota
• Affidavit of consent
• Affidavit of loss
• Next of kin

If you cannot find a specific template for your affidavit requirement on OyoCoMis e-affidavit platform, you can also use the General Form option which you can customize to fit your specific need.

3. Steps for obtaining an affidavit online in Nigeria through the Oyo State e-affidavit system

You should prepare the following for the e-affidavit:

1. The statements or facts that need to be on the affidavit.

2. Create your signature specimen – You can sign on a piece of white paper and scan it. You will be required to upload this on the platform during the e-affidavit process. If you have a touchscreen device that allows you to sign electronically, you can also use that instead.

3. A scanned passport photograph.

4. Your payment card.

When you are ready go to https://comis.oyostatejudiciary.oy.gov.ng/account.html and create an account.

• After signing in, click on ‘New Filings’ in the top navigation menu and select ‘Affidavits’ on the page.
• You will be required to fill in the affidavit template with your name, occupation, address, location, and the averments (statements or facts that will be on your affidavit).
• You will also need to upload your scanned passport photograph and signature.
• After completing the affidavit template you will be required to make a payment (one thousand Naira).
• After making the payment, your affidavit will be queued for commissioning and you will receive a confirmation email once it has been commissioned.
• You can then click on ‘Affidavits’ under ‘Filings’ on the OyoCoMis platform to download the commissioned affidavit and print it.

Note that your averments should be written in English. If you are not confident about your English skills, you can use the Nigerian Law Forum AI tools to create grammatically correct averments for your affidavit.

4. Lawyers can file suits in Oyo State High Court online through the OyoCoMis platform

Apart from e-affidavit, OyoCoMis has many other electronic filing systems that are very useful, particularly for legal practitioners. This includes filing of suits online, registering a lis pendens, etc. Note that to create a professional account as a lawyer on OyoCoMis, you need to use your Nigerian Bar email address (ends with @nigerianbar.ng).