Former Minister for the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mr. Bala Mohammed
may be arrested over land fraud running into several billions committed
during and after his administration, investigators have told
Pointblanknews.com
Investigators confirmed to Pointblanknews.com that the former FCT Minister
and the embattled Director of the Abuja Geographical Information
Systems, Haji Jamila Tangaza signed documents for the approval and
granting of land allocation, Right of Occupancy (R of O) and Certificate
of Occupancy (C of O) months after they left office.
Tangaza who was recently arrested, handcuffed and taken to the AGIS office
in Abuja while Economic and Financial Crimes, EFCC officials searched her
office, confirmed her fraudulent act to investigators.
She is accused of allegedly diverting the sum of 150 million Naira.
Sources told Pointblanknews.com, Tangaza, the Executive Director in
Charge of the lucrative AGIS, a close confidant of the former Minister,
was strategically appointed to help allocate lands to cronies, relatives
and friends of the Minister which they later sell for Billions of Naira.
Pointblanknews.com confirmed from investigators that months after the
Administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Mohammed and
Tangaza, signed and issued several lands to several people and backdated
the documents.
“She is cooperating with us and has made useful information,” an
investigator who does not want to be named told Pointblanknews.com.
According to him, “one of the shocking part is her confession that months
after the former Minister left office, she was still taken land papers to
him to sign and backdate. We have retrieved some of the documents and
moving on with the investigation.”
An official of the AGIS who also spoke to Pointblanknews.com confirmed
that for months, Staff members were urged by the former Minister through
Ms. Tangaza to prepare land documents for allottees which were taken to
the private residence of the former Minister to sign.
“Yes files were taken to Hajia Tangaza who takes them to him to sign. We
were shocked to know that he was still signing Government documents after
he left office,” a staff in the AGIS office told pointblanknews.com
Investigators are completing work of their findings and may arrest the
former Minister over land scandals, fraud and other crimes committed under
his leadership.
Tangaza, who was a former Head of the Hausa Service Department of the
British Broadcasting Commission, BBC, has since been released on bail
awaiting trials.
Editor’s Note: We erroneously referred to Hajia Tangaza as former AGIS
Executive Director. Tangaza is still the current AGIS Director. The error
is regretted.