The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday told an Abuja High Court that a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir El-Rufai and two of his officials unilaterally revoked some juicy plots of land and allocated same to themselves, their relatives and their companies.

Sunday Idowu, a former operative of the EFCC made the disclosure while being led in evidence by the commission’s lawyer, Adebayo Adelodun, in continuation of trial of the former minister who is facing an eight-count of abuse of office.

The two other accused persons are the Director General, Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS), Atine Jubrin and former General Manager, AGIS Ismail Iro.

Mr Idowu, an Inspector of Police gave detailed steps taken by his investigative team in unravelling facts behind the accusations against the accused persons.

“We interacted with interested parties notably Abuja Geographical Information Services (AGIS), Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) among others who gave us insight into what actually happened,” the police officer said.

He said that his team identified an official memo written by a senior official of FCDA advising against the irregular conversion of the plots.

“At AGIS, investigation revealed that plots 1201 and 3352 which were originally allocated to PHCN and NIPOST were revoked and then re-allocated to 9 private individuals including two wives of the former minister, daughter of former President Obasanjo, Iyabo Obasanjo–Bello, a serving senator, Philip Aduda and the 2nd and 3rd accused persons,” Mr Idowu said.

The witness further told the court that his team discovered from the Corporate Affairs Commission that Misters El-Rufai, and Iro are directors in the three companies which benefited from the re-allocation, namely: System Property Development Company, SPDC, Express Procurement Ltd and Pure Environment Services.

“In the course of investigation, it was discovered that one of the irregularly converted plots, allocated to one of the wives of the 1st accused person ,with new plot number 337 was also used by him as one of the properties declared as his own in his Asset Declaration Form with the Code of Conduct Bureau,” the police investigator said.

A former Executive Secretary with the FCDA, Sani Alhassan, told the court that after a meeting with the management of PHCN it was discovered that the earlier revocation was no more necessary. He said a memo was written to the former minister advising him to revert to status quo.

The case was adjourned to 25 April for further hearing.

Mr El-Rufai and his co-accused persons were first arraigned on an amended eight-count on Thursday 7 April 2011. Their arraignment followed a petition to EFCC, detailing allegations of abuse of office against the former minister on how he misappropriated government land which he allocated to his friends and family members, in flagrant breach of the Abuja Master plan.

http://www.channelstv.com/home/2012/03/21/witness-tells-court-how-el-rufai-allocated-land-to-himself-family-and-companies/

Disgraceful behavious, this is the sort of thing that gives our politicians a bad name.

THE FOOL HAS BECOME A SAINT ON TWITTER. I PITY THE BELIEVERS IN THIS MAN.

Mr rufai is as corrupt as his pdp enemies

I have known this man to be a heartless criminal.

Is this news? There's no F C T minister that hasn't hasn't helped himself to "free" land. Bunch of Criminals .

You really need to follow this guy on twitter and see how he daily accused PDP of corruption and CPC has the only party to liberate Nigeria

Oh, the twitter saint.

Send this dude and his cohorts to the gallows and this world would be a better place.

In any sane country, El-rufai will not be a free man.

Oh! My El-Rufai, why ? Thought you and Ribadu were the Future of Northern Nigeria. What a disgrace..

Thank YOU JESUS, have YOU said it today?

Everyone outside of government has the panacea for all of Nigeria's problems. We have seen that this is not the case: ACN, NADECO, so-called technocrats all fail, regress and become equally greedy once they occupy govt posts.
We need a Law that not only punishes corrupt people but makes them earn their freedom after serving their prison term. One way is to have them pay back triple the govt trust/money that they mishandled or can not account for while in office.

This same storyline was mentioned way back when his relationship with OBJ soured, I do not know what this sensationalism intends to achieve. They should just get facts, determine all he got by crook and return it to the state, we don't need all this charade. The courts are now a celebrity making arena where we are reminded that our laws just don't work and treated to a drama between corrupt lawyers on both side asking for unending adjournments and throwing age-old technicalities about.

This El-Rufai is an Honest criminal. . . . . An Oxymoron. . Emphasis on slowpoke!!

If this report is true then he's not fit to criticise GEJ and PDp like he always do.

ud byron[1:
]Thank YOU JESUS, have YOU said it today?

okay. Great speech, wrong thread. You okay?

Like that's something to be surprised about.

[color=#006600][/color]why should nigerians be suprise about diz.....?

mr rufai, abeg drop a rejoinder on twitter. Na today dem discover these.

preciousoz: Oh! My El-Rufai, why ? Thought you and Ribadu were the Future of Northern Nigeria. What a disgrace..

Wake up boy.....anyone who criticises don't make good leaders(critics are no good leaders). Am very sure(100%) dat GEJ is far far better dan dis twitter saint called mallam aboki nosiru el-rifle.....so ur eyes don clear now!

Court sitting and probe panels in Nigeria are nothing more than a family meeting,no sane man will expect anything to come from this because its business as usual.
By the way any news on subsidy removal probe? Guess already swept under the rug,lolz

None of our leaders is saint,they are all thieves.But some of them have little fear of God,that is why we are seeing them as good leaders

jp philips: Mr rufai is as corrupt as his pdp enemies

Is he not PDP?

chucky234: Court sitting and probe panels in Nigeria are nothing more than a family meeting,no sane man will expect anything to come from this because its business as usual.
By the way any news on subsidy removal probe? Guess already swept under the rug,lolz

What are you insinuating? That he didn't covet peoples landed property, handing over to family, friends and acolytes?
That he shouldn't be tried for mis-appropriation simply cos he's now a govt critic?

In Nigeria especially, 99% of people who get in there do so for themselves.
By mistake the 1% who gets in there for the people will have the opportunity and that will mark the beginning of true change.

If only El rufai known he wouldn't have point accusive fingers at pdp. They are all rogues.

he should be arrested oleeee

chucky234: Court sitting and probe panels in Nigeria are nothing more than a family meeting,no sane man will expect anything to come from this because its business as usual.
By the way any news on subsidy removal probe? Guess already swept under the rug,lolz

The subsidy probe committee is presently compiling its report. When that comes out we'd knw what's next.

99% Nigerian politicians are corrupt the one percent are the dead ones........