The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has alerted Nigerians about a suspected fake land vendor who allegedly defrauded members of the public of over N90 million through the sale of non-existent properties in Abuja.
In a statement on Wednesday, EFCC operatives announced the arrest of Nwobo Williams Chibuike in Abuja.
He is accused of posing as a legitimate land vendor to defraud people and offering fake plots of land in various areas, including Kurudu, Sabon Lugbe East Extension, Kpeyegyi, and Jikwoyi Village Extension, all located within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“Investigations showed that, Chibuike, self-styled Managing Director of C&C Reality & Construction Limited, Dream-Krest Homes and Properties Limited and Dan Faith Shelters Limited, was marketing fictitious and non-existing landed properties in several locations in the FCT and getting his victims to make payments ranging from N60,000,000( Sixty Million Naira), N24,000, 000( Twenty- Four Million Naira), N11,000,000( Eleven Million Naira) to N3, 500, 000( Three Million Five Hundred Naira) in locations such as Karsana, Pyakasa, Jikwoyi, Kurudu, Katampe Extension, Guzape 2, Kuje and other locations in the FCT,” the EFCC statement partly reads.
EFCC Plans Arraignment of Suspect
The Commission stated that inquiries made to the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) confirmed that none of the locations marketed and sold by Chibuike and his agents actually exist.
“The public is hereby alerted to be cautious of such vendors, especially itinerant land marketers operating around the FCT. Be appropriately guided,” the EFCC warned.
- The Commission assured the public that the suspect will be charged to court once investigations are concluded.
Backstory
This alert comes less than two years after the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), on October 24, 2023, revealed it had uncovered 189 fake companies used to fraudulently secure land allocations in the Federal Capital Territory.
The CAC’s Registrar-General, Hussaini Magaji, disclosed this during a press briefing in Abuja.
He stated that a criminal syndicate operating numerous unregistered companies was apprehended following a complaint from the FCT Administration to verify the status of a company seeking land allocation.
Further investigation into the non-existent company led to the discovery of many more fake entities involved in similar fraudulent schemes.
