On Wednesday, the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja sentenced Kinsley Eselebor, a staff member of the Federal Capital Development Authority, to seven years in prison for defrauding a buyer of two Kubwa plots using forged documents in a case brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The judge ordered concurrent sentences: seven years on each of the first three counts and two years on the remaining two counts, all to run together without the option of a fine. The fraud involved Plots 383 and 424 in the Kubwa District Central Annex, which were sold to Moses Osinachi. Osinachi transferred the purchase money from his company, Moscow International Services Limited, to Eselebor before discovering that no valid title existed. The prosecution initially filed three counts of obtaining money by false pretences in March 2021, later expanding the charge sheet to five counts, including two for using forged conveyance documents as genuine.
What were the charges?
The court found Eselebor guilty on all five counts presented by the EFCC, ranging from obtaining money under false pretences to the use of falsified conveyance documents bearing the names Yusuf Lawan and Adegoke Asiwaju.
How did the fraud operate?
Eselebor, who worked in the FCDA’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning, presented the two plots as legitimate despite lacking any transferable title. He produced two forged conveyance documents and, when questioned, assured Osinachi of their authenticity. Relying on those assurances, the buyer paid the agreed sum, only to learn later that the land had rival claimants and could not be transferred.
What did the court order?
Judge A.O. Musa sentenced Eselebor to seven years’ imprisonment on the first three counts and two years on the remaining two, with all terms to run concurrently and no fine imposed. The judgment underscores the judiciary’s intolerance for property fraud.
EFCC’s reaction
Joshua Saidi, the EFCC’s director of criminal litigation and prosecution, said the conviction should act as a warning to anyone attempting to deceive property buyers with fake documents. “This judgment has served as a deterrent to all this land racketeering, you know, these fraudsters, parading fake documents, defrauding unsuspecting victims,” Saidi remarked.
The case arrives amid broader concerns over land‑title fraud in the capital. In February, the Federal Capital Territory Administration nullified 485 Area Council land documents after they failed verification checks, affecting Bwari, Abuja Municipal Area Council and Kuje. Prospective buyers are advised to verify ownership and title status through the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) title‑search service before completing any transaction.