Police arraign Abuja real estate firm’s executives for land fraud

The Nigerian police have arraigned a couple and executives of Homadil Realty Limited, a real estate firm in Abuja, in connection with an alleged fraudulent scheme involving four plots of land in the federal capital city.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the police arraigned Rebecca Isaac (also known as Bilkisu Ishaku Aliyu) and her husband, Ishaku Isaac, on 28 January at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Apo, Abuja,

Their company, Homadil Realty Limited, is listed as the third defendant, while the Executive Director of Rychado Homes, Richard John, is named as the fourth defendant. But Mr John was absent from court on the day of the arraignment.

However, the rest of the defendants pleaded not guilty to all five counts of fraud which the police filed against them on 23 January.

The trial judge, Sadia Mayana, granted them bail.

They were each granted bail in the sum of N10 million, with two sureties of the same amount.

The judge specified that the sureties must be reputable individuals who own landed property in Abuja.

He adjourned till 11 February for trial.

Charges

In the copy of the indictment seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the police prosecutor, Abdulrashid Sidi, accused the defendants of forging documents to falsely present themselves as rightful owners of prime plots of land in Guzape and Katampe, two high-demand districts in Abuja.

The prosecution alleged that Mrs Isaac and others possessed an Irrevocable Power of Attorney that fraudulently conferred ownership of Plot 4022, Guzape District, which they falsely claimed to hold alongside Amina Musa Usman. This document was allegedly used to deceive potential buyers.

In counts two and three, the prosecution said the defendants allegedly misrepresented themselves as owners of Plots 1861 and 1862, Katampe District, Cadastral Zone B07, selling them for N25 million each under false pretences.

In another count, the prosecution alleged that by fraudulently presenting themselves as the owners of Plot 1863 Katampe District, they made Tadas Okonkwo and others subscribe and buy land from them for N25 million.

Similarly, in count five, the prosecution alleged that by fraudulently presenting themselves as the owner of Plot 4022 Guzape District, the defendants made Tadas Okonkwo, and others subscribe and buy N40 million from them.

The indictment charges the defendants under sections 1(3) and 4(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act, 2006.

Section 1 of the Act criminalises obtaining property by false pretences from any other person, in Nigeria or in any other country, for himself or any other person; or by inducing any other person, in Nigeria or in any other country, to deliver to any person.

The law in section 1(3) specifies imprisonment for a term of not more than 20 years and not less than 7 years without the option of a fine for a person who commits an offence and is convicted under subsection (1) or (2) of this section.

For its part, section 4(3) says, “Any person who, with intent to defraud, knowingly makes, utters, issues or circulates any false or misleading statement, document or representation, whether orally or in writing, in furtherance of advance fee fraud, commits an offence under this Act.”

Previous legal action

This is not the first legal action linked to the disputed land.

In December 2024, the Federal High Court in Abuja granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) a 60-day interim forfeiture order over the four plots to allow for further investigation.

The trial judge, Emeka Nwite issued the order on 20 December 2024, following an ex parte application filed by the EFCC on 11 December.

The affected properties are Plot 4022, Guzape District, Cadastral Zone A09, Plots 1861, 1862, and 1863, Katampe District, Cadastral Zone B07.

Reporter targeted

This reporter began investigating the alleged fraud after obtaining an FCT Legal Services report, which implicated Ms Isaac for alleged collusion with land department officials to fraudulently obtain Power of Attorney.

On 30 May 2024, a police officer, Ezemba Ezekiel, contacted this reporter by phone, inviting him to the Nigeria Police Force Intelligence Response Team (NPF-IRT) office in Guzape, Abuja.

The invitation was prompted by Mrs Isaac’s complaint to the police about this reporter’s planned report on the matter.

PREMIUM TIMES sent a legal representative to honour the invitation.

However, the police backed down on the case following public scrutiny the case drew.