The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has restored and handover four swindled land title documents worth N1 billion — to their owners in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The syndicates deprived the lawful owners of their property, according to EFCC’s investigators, working on actionable intelligence, rounded-up the fraudsters and recovered the documents for the legitimate owners.
The Commission in a statement published on its website said four victims of the syndicates regained their titled documents from the EFCC. The owners are; Asinobi Emmanuel Ogbuefi, the family of the late Ambassador Joseph D. Daze.
A breakdown of recovered from criminal syndicates indicates that Ogbuefi, regained the Certified True Copy (CTC) of his allocation on Plot 895 Kaura District, Abuja, valued at over N150 million; the family of the late Ambassador Joseph D. Daze, Nuhu Umar and Omar Ali Bintawa.
Daze, regained the title document of Plot 714, Jahi District, Abuja, worth over N400 million, while Umar, regained the CTC of allocation in respect of Plot 625, Guzape District, Abuja, worth over N200 million.
Also, Bintawa, regained the Right of Occupancy (RofO) for Plot 1167 Katampe Extension, Abuja, worth N250 million, according to the statement by EFCC.
The anti-graft body explained that the falsified title documents by a syndicate of land fraudsters were presented by the Chairman of the Commission, Ola Olukoyede on Tuesday, January 28, 2025.
He said the fraudsters are in the habit of forging documents and in the habit of conniving with some staff members of the FCT to perpetrate crime.
Olukoyede, enjoined Abuja residents and prospective property developers to be wary of fraudsters strategies in order not to fall prey, assuring that all land fraudsters would be brought to book.
“This syndicate is in the habit of forging signatures of original allottees of land. Not only do they forge their signatures, they forge their means of identification and passports of the original allottees.
“And go ahead and declare the original title documents of those lands missing. The moment they are declared missing, they, on their own, would reapply, forge the signature and identity of the original allottee and get another title document from it”.
“Our engagement this afternoon is a demonstration of our commitment to synergize and collaborate with the public as an agency to fight corruption, financial and economic Crimes in Nigeria.
“What is important is for Nigerians to ensure that they do due diligence in the course of carrying out transactions on land, particularly the purchase of land and properties in Abuja, because they are all over the place”, he said.
He further said, “This is also a warning to all those syndicates out there that the EFCC will definitely come after them. We will not allow them to enjoy the proceeds of their crime. We are working hand-in-hand with the FCT Administration to ensure that these types of crimes don’t go unpunished”.
In his goodwill message, Director of Lands, FCT, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, commended EFCC for righting the wrongs and restoring faith and confidence in Nigerians.
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