RismadarVoice Reporters
October 28, 2026
The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja has reportedly convicted a staff member of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Kinsley Eselebor, over a fraudulent land transaction involving two plots in Kubwa, Abuja.
Justice A.O. Musa was reported to have delivered the judgment on Wednesday, October 28, finding Eselebor guilty on five counts involving obtaining money under false pretences and using forged documents as genuine.
According to the account of the proceedings, the court imposed seven years’ imprisonment on each of the first three counts and two years each on the remaining two counts.
Although the individual sentences total 25 years, the judge ordered that they run concurrently, making seven years the longest effective prison term. The sentences reportedly carry no option of a fine.
The case arose from a complaint by Moses Osinachi, who accused Eselebor of collecting money for two plots identified as Plots 383 and 424 at Kubwa District Central Annex.
Prosecutors told the court that Eselebor, an employee of the FCDA’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning, presented documents purporting to establish ownership of the properties despite lacking valid title to sell them.
The complainant reportedly trusted Eselebor partly because they were neighbours, attended the same church and knew of his employment with the FCDA.
According to the prosecution, Eselebor presented conveyance documents bearing the names Yusuf Lawan and Adegoke Asiwaju to support the transaction.
Osinachi subsequently transferred money from his company’s account, Moscow International Services Limited, for the purchase.
The transaction reportedly collapsed when the complainant attempted to take possession and discovered competing claims to the properties.
Following unsuccessful attempts to secure alternative plots or recover his money, Osinachi petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The commission investigated the complaint and initially filed three charges in March 2021 before amending them to five.
Reacting to the reported conviction, EFCC prosecution counsel Joshua Saidi described the judgment as a warning against land racketeering and the use of forged property documents.
He expressed concern that the involvement of a government employee in such a transaction could undermine public confidence in official land documentation.
The case highlights the importance of independently verifying property ownership and title documents before making payments for land transactions.
