ICPC arraigns FCDA official for Abuja land racketeering

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned an official of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Nasiru Alhassan Ahmed, and his company, Ramat Concrete Limited before a High Court sitting in Gwagwalada, Abuja, for offences bordering on alleged forgery and land racketeering.

ICPC had in a 2-count charge accused Ahmed and his company of making a false statement in the application for the grant/regrant of Statutory Right of Occupancy with the intention to mislead officials of the Federal Capital Territory Authority.

The commission told the court how the 2nd defendant, Ahmed, who was at a time the Personal Assistant on Land Matters to the then Minister of State for FCT in 2009, made use of privileged information at his disposal on a land at Plot 1460 Cadastral Zone E27 Apo Resettlement, took advantage of the vacuum that existed on the plot, that there was no Right of Occupancy or Certificate of Occupancy granted on the Land, and incorporated Ramat Concrete Limited for the purpose of acquiring the plot.

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According to a statement issued on Friday by the ICPC spokesperson, Azuka Ogugua, the court was also informed of how the 2nd defendant used his position to mislead the Federal Capital Territory Authority to allocate the said plot of land to his Company using fake names and address on the application forms.

The commission stated that the defendants’ actions are contrary to, and punishable under sections 17 and 25 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

Ahmed, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges when read to him.

The defense counsel, Mohammed Sani, in a 15- paragraph affidavit and pursuant to section 158 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, prayed the court to grant his client bail in the most liberal of conditions.

Although the bail application was not opposed by counsel to ICPC, Agbili Ezenwa Kingsley, he, however, sought the relief of the court to grant the bail in the most stringent of conditions, saying that will compel the accused person to attend his trial.

Ruling, the presiding judge, Justice I. Mohammed, granted Ahmed bail in the sum of N10 million and a surety in like sum, who must be a civil servant from grade level 15 and above, and resident within the jurisdiction of the court.

Justice Mohammed, therefore, adjourned the case to December 7, 2022, for the commencement of trial.

The Star