A total of 61 houses were seized from an official of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSDC) in the course of the investigations into the land scam in Abuja, Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta said on Thursday.
Speaking to the Federal House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the alleged land swap, allocations and racketeering in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nta revealed that other seizures include 45 plots of land at different locations within the FCT and a duplex.
He also said several banks accounts used for the illegal land deal had been traced and frozen, while the agency embarked on the investigation after a formal complaint from the Commandant General of the NSDC, Dr. Ade Abolurin in May to allege that some of the officials of the corps were involved in selling lands illegally to unsuspecting members of the public in the name of the agency under non-existing housing estate scheme in Abuja and Nasarawa State.
“Impressed by the action of the commandant general of the corps who reported his own officials for alleged wrong doings and demanding for an independent investigation, I commenced an immediate investigation by directing the Special Squad I set up on land matters to swing into action and the team even started with some officers who the CG came with”, Nta said.
“We made findings; we made efforts to get additional information from other government agencies and banks which assisted us immensely in the course of our investigations”.
“In the course of the investigation, we established that six different companies were used in the scam. We froze the bank accounts of certain officers and the companies used; we seized several property including 61 houses, 45 plots of land and a duplex traced to some of the officers. Interestingly, the 61 houses made up of 40 units of three bedroom flats, 20 units of two bedroom flats and a duplex were seized from a single officer”.
According to the chairman, all officers who were interrogated have been released on administrative bail, save one who is still on the run.
“Investigations revealed that the affected officers used the NSCDC’s co-operative society to swindle the members of the public who thought it was a genuine transaction since it involved the name of the Corps and the transactions took place within the premises of the FCT Command of the Corps located at Gudu District and the officers always wear NSDC uniform during such illegal transactions”, he added.
He exonerated CG of the NSCDC, Ade Abolurin, saying he knew nothing about the scam, which was why he had the confidence to expose his own men. However, he gave no assurance that victims of the fraud will be compensated.
“That is beyond our power”, he said. “The final decision rests on court. Ours is to arrest, investigate and prosecute. But as we speak, we have established abuse of office against some of the officers investigated; it is the court that will now decide their fate”.
