Former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed,
awarded over N1billion fictitious contracts to himself, allocated 12
choice plots of land worth billions and 37 commercial plots of land worth
over N10billion, to himself, sons, cronies and Aides, investigators have
told Pointblanknews.com.
His front, one Tariq Hammood, his son Shamsudeen Bala Mohammed, top
Directors in FCT namely, Hajia Jamila Tangaza, Ibrahim Bomoi and Babayo
Mainasara have all confessed to being part and accomplices to the fraud
perpetrated by the former Minister.
Recalled that Pointblanknews.com had in 2014 exclusively reported that the
two sons of Bala Mohammed, Shamsudeen and Abdullahi, all under 30 years
old, are alleged to have stashed about N35billion in Unity Bank and an
offshore account in Dubai, the UAE.
Abdullahi, a man with no clear means of livelihood, has cars in his fleet
worth over N2 Billion. Abdullahi’s fleet includes Porshe, G Wagons of
different grades, Lamborghini, Ferraris, and the N800 million MaClaren
650S Coupe.
Irked by Pointblanknews.com expose of the flamboyant and reckless
lifestyle of his children, the former FCT Minister had directed the former
Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Dikko Abubakar to arrest the
Publisher and Editors of Pointblanknews.com.
When that failed, the former Minister unleashed media urchins to blackmail
the owners and Editors of Pointblanknews.com using his Media Adviser, Mr.
Nosike Ogbueyin.
However, after escaping probe of petitions that have been with the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, since 2013, the anti-graft
agency has now seized four houses of the embattled former Minister and his
son Shamsudeen worth over N900million. The Houses are at No 1 and 3,
Mariam Mukhtar Street, Asokoro, Abuja.
The EFCC, according to sources, also obtained forfeiture order to seize
the ex-minister’s son three duplexes costing about N222 million in the Apo
Area of Abuja.
The ex-minister who is also under investigation over the controversial N1
trillion Abuja land swap, awarded fictitious contracts worth Billions to
more than 17 companies linked to him, according to investigators.
An investigator who does not want to be named said: “We are probing the
immediate past Minister of FCT on many allegations against him, including
award of N1 billion fictitious contracts; abuse of office by allocating 12
choice plots to his son and 37 other commercial plots worth about N8
billion to Hammood, who is suspected to be his front; land swap, among
others.
“Some of the petitions against Bala Mohammed had been pending since 2013.
Initial findings showed that the ex-minister used fictitious companies to
award contracts worth N1 billion in FCT. In one instance, a man with three
companies was allowed to bid for one slot.
“About 16 companies used for fictitious contracts are under investigation
because they did not supply items credited to them.
“We have also uncovered how Bala allocated plots of land to his friends,
business partners. For examples, he allocated 12 plots of land to his son,
Shamsudeen, and 37 commercial plots of land to his business front called
Tariq Hammood.
“Some of those quizzed so far confessed that Bala used unconventional
methods in raking illicit funds and laundering same. Each time the
ex-minister allocated a plot of land, he would find out the market value
and ask you to pay half of the amount to him in cash.
“For instance if a plot of land was N2 billion, Bala would ask for N1
billion cash from the prospective buyer. He was smart in collecting cash.
“But the EFCC has traced allocation of 37 commercial plots to Hammood and
how N8billion was made from it. In fact, we saw a proposal by Tariq
Hammood to sell some of the plots.
“So far, our operatives have arrested, detained and quizzed Shamsudeen. He
is presently on administrative bail. We have also interrogated Hammood.”
“Based on substantial findings, we approached the court to obtain an
interim forfeiture order to seize a N650million from the ex-FCT Minister.
“What happened was that the former minister allocated some plots of land
to Aso Savings and they bought the N650 million house for him at Nos. 1
and 3, Mariam Mukhtar Street, Asokoro District.
“The EFCC has confiscated three duplexes totaling N222million which were
acquired by the ex-minister’s son.
“We invoked sections 28 and 34 of the EFCC (Establishment Act) 2004 and
Section 13(1) of the Federal High Court Act, 2004 which empower the
anti-graft agency to invoke Interim Assets Forfeiture Clause.
“Section 28 of the EFCC Act reads: ‘Where a person is arrested for an
offence under this Act, the Commission shall immediately trace and attach
all the assets and properties of the person acquired as a result of such
economic or financial crime and shall thereafter cause to be obtained an
interim attachment order from the Court.’”
“We are investigating him; we are yet to invite him for questioning.
Certainly, we are closing in on him.”
“As for Ms Jamila Tangaza, we arrested and detained her because she was
connected with the land scam and abuse of office and we traced some
questionable N800million to contract to her a company she owns.
“The ex-minister asked her to resign her appointment with BBC and
appointed her as a Senior Special Assistant on Media and Information. But
Bala allocated some plots of land to her to sell in order to acquire a
mansion in Asokoro District too. Her house was allegedly worth
N158million.
“Also, Jamila allegedly abused her office by awarding N800million
contracts to her company which is called Songbird Multimedia.
“Her case was interesting. When she registered the company with the
Corporate Affairs Commission, she used a fictitious name as the CEO of the
company but she is the sole signatory to the company’s account and her
phone number is the point of contact with the firm.
“We have sent her signature on CAC document and other specimen signatures
collected from her to a forensic laboratory. Following a court order, we
detained her in the past few days but as at Friday, she was pleading that
we should grant her bail. We are looking into her request.”
The source added: “You can verify from her what transpired. From custody
in EFCC, we went with her to her office to recover some documents. We used
the EFCC bus but along the way, she begged us to park the bus away from
the vicinity of AGIS where she is a director. She did not want her staff
and others to notice that she was brought to the office by EFCC team.
“We obliged her request by parking outside AGIS. We also didn’t allow
policemen in uniform to follow her to the office. We assigned plain-clothe
operatives and even asked her if she wanted the only lady in our team to
follow her so that Jamila can blend with the crowd in AGIS without anyone
suspecting anything.