Ex-FCT Minister’s Aide Arraigned In Court For Land Racketeering

One Nasiru Alhassan Ahmed, a former Personal Assistant on Land Matters to an ex-minister of state for FCT in 2009, was on Friday arraigned in court.

He was arraigned alongside his company, Ramat Concrete Limited by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over alleged forgery and land racketeering.

Ahmed, who is also a staff of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), and his company were arraigned before Hon. Justice I. Mohammed of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court 54 sitting in Gwagwalada.

They are facing a 2-count charge for making false statement in an application for the grant/regrant of Statutory Right of Occupancy.

They are accused of deliberately misleading officials of the Federal Capital Territory Authority.

The ICPC had told the court how Ahmed, who was at a time the P.A, Land Matters to the then minister, made use of privileged information at his disposal on a land at Plot 1460 Cadastral Zone E27 Apo Resettlement to commit such act.

The defendants’ actions are contrary to, and punishable under sections 17 and 25 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

When the charges were read to him, he pleaded not guilty to all of them.

Mohammed Sani, the defense counsel, had in a 15- paragraph affidavit, prayed the court to grant his client bail in the most liberal of conditions.

The counsel to ICPC, Agbili Ezenwa Kingsley, however sought the relief of the court to grant the bail in the most stringent conditions to compel the accused person to attend his trial.

The judge finally admitted him to bail in the sum of 10 million Naira and a surety in like sum, who must be a civil servant from grade level 15 and above, and resident within the jurisdiction of the Court.

The case has been adjourned to the 7th of December 2022 for the commencement of trial.