(Two FCDA officials. Photo by News Express)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned two officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, over the alleged unlawful sale of four Federal Capital Territory, FCT, staff houses in Abuja.
According to the anti-graft agency, the defendants, Folashade Oketope and Mohammed Kabir Usman, appeared before Justice B.M. Bassi of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Jabi, Abuja, on Monday, July 13, 2026.
A statement posted on the EFCC’s verified Facebook page on Wednesday said the pair are facing a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, and corruption, linked to the alleged fraudulent disposal of government-owned residential properties.
The Commission alleged that between 2024 and 2025, while both officials were responsible for managing FCT staff houses, they unlawfully sold Houses 3, 4, 7 and 8 on Plot 756, Abubakar Usman Crescent, Jabi District, Abuja, to private buyers.
One of the charges accuses them of dishonestly misappropriating or converting the properties for personal gain by selling them off to individuals without authorisation, an offence said to contravene Section 311 of the Penal Code Act, Laws of the Federation, 2004, punishable under Section 312 of the same law.
The EFCC further accused the pair of corruptly collecting money to facilitate the sales, alleging that Oketope received N5 million while Usman received N4 million from a certain Anthony Ezekwugo as inducement for the transactions.
This, the Commission said, constitutes an offence under Section 8(a)(ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000, punishable under Section 8(ii) of the same Act.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty to all three counts.
Following their plea, prosecution counsel, F.S. Mohammed, requested that the court set a trial date and remand the defendants at a correctional facility pending hearing, while defence counsel, L. Ojinma, appealed for them to be granted bail.
Justice Bassi subsequently granted each defendant bail in the sum of N10 million with one reliable surety, ruling that each surety must reside within the FCT, provide proof of land ownership within the territory, swear to an affidavit of means, and submit recent passport photographs.
Pending the fulfilment of these conditions, the judge ordered that the first defendant be held at the Suleja Correctional Centre and the second at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
The case was adjourned until October 21, 2026, for trial to begin.
