FCTA To Eradicate Land Racketeering

Worried by the activities
of land fraudsters at the nation’s capital city, the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed has expressed the resolve of the Federal Capital Territory Administration to eradicate corrupt practices and land racketeering in the FCT.
Making this known in  Abuja Thursday  when he received the Executive Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, the Minister said that land speculation and forgery in the FCT was on the increase.
He said that close collaboration with the anti-corruption agencies, particularly the EFCC would help to stamp out the perpetuators.
According to him, without the anti-corruption agencies, the level of corruption at the Federal Capital Territory would have been outrageous.
“Property owners have refused to come forward for Deed of Assignment to ascertain the Original Ownership of their property. Until the current owners of these property in Abuja come forward for official documentation, such as Deeds of Assignment, the government will continue to lose revenue in that area”, the Minister stated.
Mohammed also said that since owners of property conceal their investment, the administration could not collect the statutory revenues accruing to it from such properties.
The minister urged the EFCC to use its expertise and beam its searchlight on property owners in the FCT, especially owners of uncompleted and unoccupied buildings.
He said ,“There are several unoccupied houses in Abuja, which also constitute security challenges to the residents of the territory”.
Mohammed also said that his administration would enact rigorous law to regulate and carpel new owners of property in FCT to come forward for necessary documentations.
He promised to strengthen and solidify the existing cordial relationship between the FCT administration and the EFCC, and urged the EFCC and other anti-graft agencies hot to spare any “bad eggs” in the system, as the administration of the territory would not relent in the fight against corruption.
Earlier, Ibrahim Lamorde, the EFCC boss, had expressed appreciation for the support the FCTA was giving to the agency in its crusade against corruption.
He advised the administration to discourage people from using cash to buy land, to enable the commission track all transactions on landed properties.
The EFCC boss posited the EFCC had handled about 270 land fraud cases in the last three years, including that of some staff of the FCTA caught for engaging in sharp practices.