Court remands FCTA director over alleged forgery of land titles
Kola Oyelere Kano
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the remand of a Director of Lands with the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Mr. Adamu Jubrin Hussaini, at the Kuje Correctional Centre over allegations of alleged forgery of statutory land title documents.
Mr. Hussaini was arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Thursday on a three-count charge bordering on forgery, contrary to Section 362 and punishable under Section 363 of the Penal Code.
According to the charges, the defendant allegedly forged the signature of a former Director of Land Administration, FCTA, Mr. Mainasara Garba Babayo, on three Statutory Rights of Occupancy purportedly issued in favour of Etha Ventures Limited. The affected plots are Plot 3128, Plot 3129 and Plot 1204, all located in Cadastral Zone E07, Lugbe Central, Abuja.
The ICPC told the court that the case stemmed from intelligence reports and a petition by members of the public alleging fraudulent allocation and re-allocation of lands by some officials of the FCTA and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).
Investigations revealed that Mr. Hussaini assumed office as Director of Land Administration in 2016, succeeding Mr. Babayo, who served in that position between 2011 and August 2016. Despite this, the Commission alleged that the defendant issued and signed land title documents dated June 5, 2023, bearing the name and signature of Mr. Babayo, several years after he had left the department.
One of the charges stated that Mr. Hussaini forged the former director’s signature on a Statutory Right of Occupancy over Plot 3128 in Lugbe Central, Abuja, thereby committing an offence under the Penal Code.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Mr. J. Okor Odey, made available to press in Kano,said ” the ICPC reiterated its commitment to combating corruption and safeguarding public assets, particularly land resources, while urging public officials to uphold integrity in the discharge of their duties”
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
ICPC counsel, Mr. Golden Iwuagu, urged the court to fix a date for the commencement of trial. After hearing submissions from both parties, the presiding judge, Justice Husseini Baba Yusuf, adjourned the matter to March 12, 2026, for further proceedings.
The court granted the defendant bail in the sum of N20 million with one surety in like sum. Justice Yusuf ruled that the surety must be a serving or retired deputy director who owns landed property within the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), covered by a valid Certificate of Occupancy, which must be deposited with the court registrar.
Pending the perfection of his bail conditions, the judge ordered that Mr. Hussaini be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre.