It was a shocking revelation, on Thursday, at
the House of Representatives Ad-hoc
Committee probing alleged illegal land
allocations and racketeering in the Federal
Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja as the
Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and
other related Offences Commission, ICPC, Mr Ekpo
Nta testified that his agency had seized a total of 61
houses, 45 plots of land at different locations within
the FCT and a duplex from an officer of the Nigeria
Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC in the
course of on-going investigations into land scams in
FCT. Nta also revealed that several bank accounts
which the official used for the illegal land deals had
been traced and frozen by the agency. The ICPC
boss, however, disclosed that the 61 houses seized
from the Civil Defence Corps topshot was made up
of 40 three-bedroom flats, 20 two-bedroom flats
and a duplex. He said official letters had been
written to the appropriate government land
authorities on the status of the seized property and
publication made in national dailies for the public to
know so as not to fall victims of illegal deals again.
According to him, the agency swung into action
following a tip-off from the Commandant-General of
the NSCDC, Dr Ade Abolurin who personally visited
him on May 15. He said that Abolurin raised alarm
that some officials of the corps were believed to be
involved in illegal land deals using the agency as
back-up. He also said they operated under a non-
existent housing estate scheme in Abuja and
Nasarawa State. Nta further said: "Impressed by the
action of the Commandant-General of the Corps by
reporting his own officials for alleged wrong-doings
and demanding an independent investigation while
other heads of agencies or organisations will be
covering it up if it were to be in their organisations. I
commenced an immediate investigation by
directing the Special Squad I set up on land matters
to swing into action and the team even started with
some officers who came with the C-G. "We made
findings, we also made efforts to get additional
information from other government agencies and
banks which assisted us immensely in the course of
our investigations. In the course of the
investigation, we established that six different
companies were used in the scam, and the bank
accounts of certain officers and the companies used
were frozen while we seized several property
including 61 houses, 45 plots of land and a duplex
traced to some of the officers. Interestingly, the 61
houses are made up of 40 units of three bedroom
flats, 20 units of two bedroom flats and a duplex
were seized from a single officer". He further stated
that the company through which the NSCDC officials
carried out the illegal deals were not among the six
other companies that were investigated, even as he
promised to commence another round of
investigation on it. While stating that all the
interrogated officers had been released on
administrative bail except an official who was on
the run, Nta said that investigation had revealed
that the affected officers used the NSCDC's Co-
operative Society to swindle members of the public
who thought it was a genuine transaction especially
when it involved the name of the organization, the
transactions taking place within the premises of the
FCT Command of the Corps located at Gudu district
and the officers wearing NSCDC uniforms during
such illegal transactions. Asked if there would be
any compensation for the 186 victims of the scam
since the property of the perpetrators had been
seized, Nta said: "That is beyond our power, the
final decision rests on the court. Ours is to arrest,
investigate and prosecute, but as we speak, we
have established abuse of office against some of
the officers investigated, it is the court that will now
decide their fate, but the law recognizes the interest
of procurer". Elated by the testimony, the
Committee chaired by Hon Bimbo Daramola
expressed gratitude to the ICPC boss, saying the
revelation will help put an end to land scams in the
capital city.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/11/icpc-recovers-61-houses-nscdc-officer/