Court sentences FCDA official to 7 years’ imprisonment over land racketeering

In a significant legal ruling, the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja has sentenced FCDA official Kinsley Eselebor to seven years in prison for his role in land racketeering. According to a statement from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Eselebor was found guilty on all five counts of obtaining money under false pretenses and using forged documents to deceive a land buyer.

The charges were initially filed in March 2021 with three counts but were later expanded to five counts. Justice A.O. Musa delivered the judgment on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, and found Eselebor guilty of all charges. The court determined that Eselebor used two false conveyance documents to convince the victim, Osinachi, that the properties were legitimate.

Osinachi had previously petitioned the EFCC after becoming dissatisfied with the development in his neighborhood. Eselebor and Osinachi were neighbors who worshipped at the same church. The EFCC's Director of Criminal Litigation, Joshua Saidi, expressed that this conviction serves as a deterrent against land racketeering and the use of fake documents to defraud property buyers.

The conviction may also impact public confidence in government institutions, especially when officials are accused of using their positions to facilitate fraud. This case follows a previous alert from the EFCC in 2022 about a suspected fake land vendor who allegedly defrauded members of the public by selling non-existent properties in Abuja. The commission's investigation confirmed that none of the marketed locations actually existed.