The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja has sentenced Kinsley Eselebor, a staff member of the Federal Capital Development Authority, to seven years in prison for defrauding a land buyer. Eselebor was found guilty on all five counts brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The court sentenced him to seven years on counts one, two, and three, and two years on counts four and five, with all sentences to run concurrently and without an option of fine.
The case arose from the sale of two plots of land in Kubwa District Central Annex, Abuja, to Moses Osinachi. Eselebor, who worked in the FCDA's Department of Urban and Regional Planning, allegedly presented the plots as genuine properties despite having no valid title to transfer to the buyer. Osinachi trusted Eselebor partly because of their relationship and Eselebor's position in the FCDA.
Eselebor used two conveyance documents bearing the names Yusuf Lawan and Adegoke Asiwaju to convince Osinachi that the plots were genuine. When Osinachi questioned the documents, Eselebor assured him that they were authentic. Osinachi then transferred money from his company's account to Eselebor for the purchase. The transaction unravelled when Osinachi tried to take possession of the land and discovered that Eselebor had no valid title to transfer.
When confronted, Eselebor admitted knowing that the properties had rival claimants and promised to provide alternative plots. He failed to do so, and Osinachi demanded a refund but could not resolve the dispute. Osinachi later petitioned the EFCC, which investigated the matter and prosecuted Eselebor. The case was initially filed in March 2021 with three counts of obtaining money under false pretences.
The charges were later expanded to five, including two counts relating to the use of forged documents as genuine. EFCC's director of criminal litigation and prosecution lawyer, Joshua Saidi, said the conviction should serve as a warning to those who defraud property buyers with forged documents. He expressed concern that Eselebor had used his position as an FCDA employee to gain Osinachi's trust.
Saidi said the judgment had served as a deterrent to land racketeering and fraudsters parading fake documents. The case comes amid wider concerns over land fraud cases using forged documents. In February, the Federal Capital Territory Administration nullified 485 Area Council land documents after they failed official verification checks, with some found to be fake.
The affected documents covered Bwari, Abuja Municipal Area Council, and Kuje. Property buyers can check ownership records and title status through the Abuja Geographic Information Systems title-search service before completing a land transaction. This service can help prevent similar cases of land fraud in the future.
Key points
- The convict was sentenced to seven years in prison for defrauding a land buyer with forged documents.
- The case highlights wider concerns over land fraud using forged documents in Nigeria.
- Property buyers can check ownership records and title status through the Abuja Geographic Information Systems title-search service.
