FCDA Staffer Bags 25 Years Behind Bars for Abuja Land Fraud

​ABUJA — The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has handed down a combined 25-year prison sentence to Kingsley Eselebor, an official of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), for orchestrating a multi-layered land scam.

​Justice A.O. Musa delivered the verdict, finding Eselebor guilty on all five counts of obtaining money under false pretences and utilizing forged documents. The charges were brought forward by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

​Breach of Trust Among Neighbours

​The trial uncovered a deep betrayal of trust involving Eselebor, who worked with the FCDA’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning, and his victim, Moses Osinachi. Living as neighbours and fellow churchgoers, the two shared a personal rapport that made Osinachi drop his guard.

​Leveraging both their relationship and his official security within the FCDA, Eselebor convinced Osinachi to purchase two prime plots of land—identified as Plots 383 and 424—located at the Kubwa District Central Annex in Abuja. To pull off the deception, Eselebor presented forged conveyance documents bearing the names Yusuf Lawan and Adegoke Asiwaju.

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​Acting on these false assurances, Osinachi transferred funds from his corporate entity, Moscow International Services Limited, directly to Eselebor.

​The Facade Crumbles

​The fraudulent transaction unraveled when Osinachi attempted to take physical possession of the plots, only to discover that the land had rival claimants and that Eselebor held no valid legal title. Confronted with the reality, Eselebor admitted the properties were encumbered and promised alternative allocations—a pledge he repeatedly failed to fulfill.

​When subsequent demands for a refund were met with endless evasion and shifting explanations, Osinachi petitioned the anti-graft agency. The EFCC launched a thorough investigation, culminating in Eselebor’s initial arraignment in March 2021 on a three-count charge that was later expanded to five counts.

​Court Verdict and Anti-Graft Warning

​In his ruling, Justice Musa sentenced Eselebor to seven years’ imprisonment on each of the first three counts (obtaining by false pretences) and two years each on counts four and five (forgery and use of fake documents). Because the offences stemmed from a single transaction, the judge ordered the sentences to run concurrently without an option of a fine.

​Reacting to the outcome, the EFCC’s Director of Criminal Litigation and Prosecution Counsel, Joshua Saidi, lauded the judgment as a critical warning against systemic corruption and land racketeering.

​”This judgment has served as a deterrent to all these land racketeering, you know, these fraudsters, parading fake documents, defrauding unsuspecting victims… Where is the trust? That means you are not safe, I’m not safe,” Saidi stated.

​Saidi further expressed alarm over public sector actors weaponizing their institutional placement to exploit citizens, noting that the severity of the punishment highlights that crime ultimately yields no profit.