A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja has sentenced a staff member of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Kinsley Eselebor, to 25 years’ imprisonment for obtaining money under false pretences and using forged documents in a land transaction.

Justice A.O. Musa delivered the judgment on Wednesday, after finding Eselebor guilty on all five counts filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The court sentenced him to seven years’ imprisonment each on counts one, two and three, and two years each on counts four and five, without an option of fine.

However, the judge ordered that the sentences run concurrently, meaning Eselebor will serve the prison terms simultaneously rather than consecutively.

The prosecution established that Eselebor, an employee of the FCDA’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning, defrauded Moses Osinachi of money paid for two plots of land at Kubwa District Central Annex, Abuja.

The plots, identified as Plots 383 and 424, were allegedly presented to Osinachi as genuine properties available for purchase, although Eselebor had no valid title to transfer to him.

The charge, initially filed in March 2021 with three counts of obtaining money under false pretences, was later amended to five counts. The additional counts concerned the use of forged documents as genuine to convince the buyer of the authenticity of the properties.

Evidence before the court showed that Osinachi and Eselebor were neighbours and worshipped at the same church. Their relationship, coupled with Eselebor’s position as an FCDA employee, reportedly strengthened Osinachi’s confidence in the transaction.

The court heard that Eselebor presented two conveyance documents bearing the names Yusuf Lawan and Adegoke Asiwaju to support his claim that the plots were genuine.

When Osinachi sought further confirmation of the documents, Eselebor allegedly assured him of their authenticity, relying on his position within the FCDA.

Acting on the assurances, Osinachi transferred money from his company’s account, Moscow International Services Limited, to Eselebor for the purchase of the two plots.

The transaction unravelled when Osinachi attempted to take possession of the properties and discovered that Eselebor had no valid title to transfer.

When confronted, Eselebor reportedly admitted knowing that the properties had rival claimants and promised to secure alternative plots for Osinachi. The promise was not fulfilled.

Osinachi subsequently demanded a refund, but the matter remained unresolved as Eselebor’s explanations reportedly changed. The buyer later petitioned the EFCC, which investigated the allegations and arraigned the FCDA official.

Reacting to the judgment, the EFCC’s Director of Criminal Litigation and prosecution counsel, Joshua Saidi, said the conviction should serve as a deterrent to people involved in land racketeering and the use of forged documents to defraud property buyers.

Saidi expressed concern that Eselebor’s position as an FCDA employee had allegedly helped him gain the buyer’s trust.

“This judgment has served as a deterrent to all these land racketeering, you know, these fraudsters, parading fake documents, defrauding unsuspecting victims,” he said.

He questioned the implications for public confidence when government employees are accused of using their positions to facilitate fraudulent property transactions.

According to him, the conviction sends a warning to those involved in such practices that they could face the consequences of their actions.

“So, it’s very nice, to me, it’s a judgment that will act as deterrence because there is no gain in fraud. And this man is a staff of FCDA. You can only imagine how many people he would have scammed, if not because of this case. He would have gone scot-free,” Saidi said.