EFCC To Arraign FCT Minister’s Former Chief of Staff, Director

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC will will today, arraign two senior officials of the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory over land scam.

The officials, Muhammed Yau Gital, former Chief of Staff to the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Bala Mohammed and Sani Abba, Deputy Director, Mass Housing at the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA; will be docked before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Jabi for offences bordering on criminal breach of trust, obtaining by false pretence and abuse of office.

According to the EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, Gital and Abba allegedly conspired and defrauded one Chief Duru Mike Ejiogu, managing director of Vision and Strauss Nigeria Limited to the tune of N60m (sixty million naira) on the pretext that the said sum would be used to facilitate the change of Land Use in respect of Plot No: 523, Cadastral Zone BOO Kukwaba District from Passive Recreation to Residential.
In a related development, the EFCC, arraigned the trio of Mohammed Zahradeen Bello, Abdullahi Musa and Yusuf Baba before Justice I. U Bello of Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja on a 5-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence, conspiracy and forgery.

The suspects allegedly conspired and stole a Right of Occupancy belonging to Freelands Estate Limited from the custody of Abuja Geographic Information Systems, AGIS.

Count one reads: “That you Mohammed Zahradeen Bello, Abdullahi Musa and Yusuf Baba sometime in February, 2012 in Abuja within the Judicial Division of the High Court of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja did conspire among yourselves to do an illegal act to wit; theft of a Right of Occupancy Number MISC 103986 Plot No 4057 belonging to Freelands Estate Limited and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 96 of the Penal Code Law Cap. 532 LFN (1990) Abuja and punishable under Section 97 of the same law.”

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Upon their pleas, the defence counsel, S. A. Adeleye urged the court to admit the accused persons to bail pending trial.

Justice Bello ordered the accused to be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the case to May 20 and 27, 2015 for ruling on the bail application and commencement of trial respectively.