Nyesom Wike exposes alleged fraud: Fake C of Os issued after paying N57 million

Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), revealed an unsettling incident from his tenure as the governor of Rivers State. Wike disclosed that officials of the Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA) issued him three fake Certificates of Occupancy (C of Os) for his land, despite paying a substantial amount of N57 million.

Speaking at a meeting with estate developers in Abuja on Tuesday, the minister expressed his dismay at the prevalence of fraudulent C of Os and announced a significant change in the acquisition process.

Wike stated, “When I was governor of Rivers State, we had three C of Os from FCT. It turned out that all were fake. The C of O was coming from FCTA as a government, not as an individual. The plots allocated or said to be allocated, we paid money.”

Recounting the unfortunate incident, he highlighted the discovery of the fraudulent land after sending a Liaison Officer to inspect it. Despite paying a considerable sum of N57 million, Wike lamented the disappearance of the individuals involved, emphasizing that such practices in the FCT needed to be addressed.

In response to these challenges, Wike announced a change in the C of O acquisition process, stating that henceforth, N5 million would be the required payment for obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy. The minister’s revelations shed light on the need for increased transparency and stricter measures to curb fraudulent activities in land allocations and documentation processes within the FCT.