FCT Agency Appeals to EFCC for Assistance in Combating Land Grabbers

The Federal Capital Territory Administration Appeals to EFCC for Assistance in Addressing Rising Cases of Land Grabbing and Unauthorized Development in the Capital City

The Director of the Department of Development Control of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, Mukhtar Usman Galadima who led a delegation of other senior officials of the department to the Abuja corporate headquarters of the EFCC on a courtesy visit on Thursday said a well-coordinated syndicate seemed to be behind the growing cases of land-grabbing.

“We are here specifically to seek collaboration in view of the fact that the Commission is for the fight against economic and financial crimes. In recent times, there has been an upsurge in the case of land grabbing and unapproved development, and from the look of things, it is a well-coordinated syndicate that I believe, we alone as a department cannot fight effectively. That is why we came to you as the number one fighter against financial crimes in the country so that we can collaborate to fight this ever-increasing criminal activities,” he said.

In his response, EFCC’s Executive Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede who spoke through the Secretary to the Commission, Mr Mohammad Hammajoda assured the delegation of the Commission’s willingness and readiness to do its utmost in all the areas that fall within its mandate in tackling the scourge.

“The issue you raised about the increasing trend of forgery of land documents and impersonation of original allottees is both worrisome and scary because of the endemic nature it has assumed at the FCT.

“It might interest you to know that we have a Property and Land Fraud Unit, dedicated to the city’s real estate matters, domiciled, not within our office complex but at the FCDA for the strategic reason of fighting from the theatre of war. Outcomes from the officers of that unit have been tremendous, yet we are ever ready and willing to do more in whichever area that falls within our mandate”, he said.

In his contribution, EFCC’s Director of Operations, Abdulkarim Chukkol tasked the delegation on intelligence that would help the Commission take decisive actions against real estate fraudsters in the city and reassured them that the Commission was open to the intervention and collaboration they sought.