A staff member of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Kinsley Eselebor, has been sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment by the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja for defrauding a property buyer using forged documents.
Justice A.O. Musa delivered the judgment on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, after finding Eselebor guilty on all five charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The court imposed seven years’ imprisonment each on the first three counts and two years each on the remaining two counts. The sentences are to run concurrently, without an option of a fine.
Eselebor, who worked in the FCDA’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning, was convicted over a transaction involving two plots of land, identified as Plots 383 and 424, at Kubwa District Central Annex in Abuja. The buyer, Moses Osinachi, paid for the properties despite Eselebor having no valid title to transfer ownership.
Evidence presented during the trial showed that Osinachi and Eselebor were neighbours and attended the same church. Their relationship, alongside Eselebor’s position as an FCDA employee, reportedly encouraged the buyer to trust the transaction.
The court heard that Eselebor presented two conveyance documents bearing the names Yusuf Lawan and Adegoke Asiwaju to convince Osinachi that the plots were genuine. When the buyer sought further confirmation, Eselebor allegedly assured him that the documents were authentic.
Relying on these assurances, Osinachi transferred money from his company, Moscow International Services Limited, to pay for the properties.
However, the transaction became problematic when Osinachi attempted to take possession of the land and discovered that Eselebor had no valid ownership documents to transfer to him.
When confronted, Eselebor reportedly acknowledged that other parties had claims to the properties and promised to provide alternative plots. He failed to fulfil that promise, while the buyer’s subsequent attempts to recover his money remained unsuccessful.
Osinachi eventually petitioned the EFCC, which investigated the complaint and prosecuted the FCDA employee.
The case was initially filed in March 2021 with three charges relating to obtaining money under false pretences. The charges were later increased to five, with two additional counts concerning the use of forged documents as genuine.
Reacting to the judgment, EFCC Director of Criminal Litigation and prosecution counsel Joshua Saidi said the conviction should serve as a warning to individuals involved in land racketeering and property fraud.
He also expressed concern that Eselebor’s position within a government agency had allegedly helped him gain the buyer’s confidence, stressing the importance of accountability in property transactions and public service.
