News
Ex-Minister of State, Ramatu Tijjani in land grab scandal, as physically challenge cry out
The former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu and her Personal Assistant, Mohammed Sani has been accused by a retiree of the Federal Capital Territory Development Authority, FCDA, Mr. Hassan Rabiu (amputee) of attempting to hijack and grab his plot of land in Abuja.
Rabiu alleged that Dr. Ramatu is using her cronies in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to hijack his plot of land.
In a chat with journalists in Abuja recently, Rabiu who is currently handicapped following a road traffic mishap decried plans by the former Minister and a relative who doubles as her Personal Assistant to illegally grab his land.
According to him the land which is covered by a statutory Right of Occupancy (R-of-O) issued by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in 2001 has been a subject of controversy in recent times following what he described as antics of gangs and cartels in the Department of Planning and Development Control who specialise in forging new layouts and scheming out the original owners with fake papers.
Rabiu recalled before journalists that Personal Assistant to the Ex-Minister, Sani had approached him as a former staff of the FCDA with the intention of learning from him.
The PA, he added promised to help recover land which was taken over by the cartel at FCDA. But, In good faith, the original land documents were handed over to him.
He further revealed that the Minister was interested in the vision and mission for which the land would be used and wants to be part of the project when the plots of land will be recovered.
Accordingly, a 50/50 stake was agreed and a Memorandum of Understanding was signed to that effect in the hope that the Ex-Minister will help him recover his land and they’ll partner on the projects.
However, Rabiu alleged that shortly after the papers were handed over, the PA came back with a different story, claiming that Rabiu had lied and that he has no land in the said area.
Rabiu, also alleged that the MOU which was to be signed by the Ex-Minister after he had signed in the presence of his wife, Binta Rabiu was never returned for him to have a copy of his own.
He noted that instead of withdrawing from the MoU since according to them, Rabiu had no land in the said location, the PA in what seems like acting the Ex-Minister’s script resorted to writing petitions with the motive to blackmail and intimidate the land owner with bogus claims including financial commitments without any evidence to tender.
The aggrieved land owner noted that what was contained in the petitions were different from terms in the MoU.
The first petition was to then Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN). The Attorney General dismissed the petition for lack of evidence corroborating the claims as the petitioner had malicious intents including to publicly humiliate Rabiu and his wife by presenting them as common criminals with their pictures boldly pasted on the petition.
According to Rabiu, reprieve came his way when Modibo, a neighbour came to indicate interest to buy one of his land to be used by a government agency.
The agency wanted 12 hectares to build the housing estate for staff, he said.
Sequel to the aforementioned an investigative committee including the Director of Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) and two others was constituted.
Rabiu claimed the investigative team found out that the land actually belongs to him Ministerial approval and was captured in the first satellite cadastral imagery of Abuja with servers domiciled with Julius Berger.
This, Rabiu pointed out puts the PA’s claims to disrepute and exposes their plan which was never to help at all but connive and usurp an innocent man’s land.
However, even with the investigation duly completed, only the first parcel of land with 37 hectares was approved by the Minister in May 2023, with R-of-O issued with new file number.
Subsequently, a letter of authority was written to the Minister of FCT for the release of 12 hectares of land to the agency with 11.4 hectares eventually released to the to it. Although the land is originally meant for the agency’s cooperative, the ₦700 million agreed with head of the agency has not been paid.
He further alleged that, the PA and his cronies again wrote another petition to the agency’s head claiming a breach of partnership. Their claim was to the effect that they paid they have paid Rabiu some money as part of the partnership. However, there are no receipts, bank statement and any agreement regarding any payments.
It would be recall that the MoU was entered into on the basis of recovery of stolen lands and a 50/50 stake in the legacy projects on the lands. There couldn’t have been any financial involvement without first recovering the land which the PA and the Ex-Minister of state for FCT could not do.
After failing to intimidate the agency’s head who reached out to Mr. Hassan and got the true story of their schemes and conspiracies, the PA again wrote another petition to the Committee that was set by the Minister that affirmed Rabiu’s ownership to the land, misleading the Director of AGIS and other committee members with the same distorted facts. Again no evidence were tendered except empty claims of having a stake in the land rather than the legacy projects that were covered in the MoU.
Almost one year after getting ministerial approval for the 37 hectares of land reclaimed by Rabiu, a court process as received. It is pertinent to point out that the issues mentioned in the MoU are different from those included in the petitions and also very different from those mentioned in the court process. It is also absurd to note that the PA and his cronies know nothing about the land including the number of hectares and other identifiers.
Again in the court process, two different companies were listed as complainants; SID-TRAC NIGERIA LIMITED and MAMSIDAI NIGERIA LIMITED, obviously belonging to the Ex-Minister of state for FCT and her PA. No such thing was mentioned in the MoU. It is even more ridiculous that the two companies are now claiming a 40% and 30% stake in the land contrary to the 50/50 percent stakes in the projects that was agreed upon if they are able to help in recovering the stolen lands.
Unfortunately for the cartel, the land they are trying to collect is not the one with the Ministerial approval. The PA allegedly bribed the FCDA gangs with money and they made a design for him which is included in the petitions, changing everything including the name of the original owner.
Attempts to get the PA on phone to explain his side of the story proved abortive. Similar calls to Mr. Awal also were met with excuses. It was only the former Attorney General and Minister of Justice that responded to calls and collaborated Rabiu’s story.
Several questions are therefore handy, is the former Minister of State for FCT and his brother cum PA willfully involved in extortion and blackmail with the aim of land grabbing? What are the basis of the claims they are making? Apart from the contradictory nature of the claims, the PA has produced an agreement which Rabiu knows nothing about. Is it not a case of forgery for the culprits to fabricate an agreement different from the MoU that was entered into with them, whose terms they breached ab initio. At what point were the two companies involved in the MoU and what was their commitment that earned them 40% and 30% respectively?
It is now in the public domain and Nigerians must rise up in defense of an innocent man whose only offence was to seek the return of his stolen property. With project designs and engineering works done, it is disheartening that a few corrupt elements hiding under their political influence and financial wherewithal would want to rob a man in broad daylight. This is a call to all well meaning Nigerians to rise up and fight tyranny, corruption and criminality.
In attempt to get reactions from ex-Minister of state for FCT Dr Ramatu Talijiani Aliu and his alleged PA, Mohammed Sani, Core Reporters put several calls across to Dr. Ramatu’s cell phone and a WhatsApp message for her own side of the story on her MTN line, but no response from her until the time of going to the press.
Also, Mr. Mohammed Sani (PA) in his response said, instead of crying for nothing, Mr Rabiu should honour his agreement with the company that helped him to recover his land or go to court, adding that any other kind of arm twisting tactics will backfire.
According to him, “We helped him at his lowest point, he chose to remain a fraud. But we won’t be cowed.”
Sani also claimed that the case is already in court and that the court already has some of the evidences, and will get more if he (Rabiu) attempts to deny.
“I’m only open to discussing with you because I’m under the impression you have merely been misled (and not that you are working for him). And I advise you, if Rabiu can attempt to swindle the people that helped him and collect land papers behind their backs without honoring his bond, then imagine what he can do to you when he no longer needs you
“Every documentary and oral evidence is at our disposal. In fact there are so many others he has swindled and they are already on his case. You even know the irony, He has an agreement which he doesn’t want to honor,” Sani said.
Overland Airways, Nigeria’s longest serving private domestic airline, in partnership with Niger State Government, is pleased to announce the commencement of flight services to Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport Minna, the capital city of Niger State from Lagos and Abuja, effective April 23, 2025.
Overland Airways will operate three (3) weekly flights on the Minna-Lagos-Minna route and three (3) weekly flights on the Minna-Abuja-Minna route. These flights will be operated on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays using Overland Airways’ brand-new Embraer 175 aircraft.
Flights will depart Lagos to Minna at 8am and Minna to Lagos at 3pm. Flights from Minna to Abuja will depart at 9:30am while Abuja to Minna will depart at 2pm.
Capt. Edward Boyo, Chief Executive Officer and Accountable Executive of Overland Airways says: ‘We are excited to commence flight services to Minna from Abuja the Federal Capital and Lagos the Commercial hub of Nigeria. This flight services will facilitate trade, tourism and economic activities in Niger State and its environs and support the Government of Niger State in its quest to attract more direct investments and improve the livelihood of citizens of the State. We thank particularly His Excellency Mohammed Umar Bago, the Executive Governor of the Niger State for his passionate commitment to the growth and development of the State and for making the dream of a connected Niger State come true.”
The Niger State Ministry of Transport in collaboration with the New Niger Development Project (NNDP), jointly stated, “It has been an uphill journey to bring the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport to fruition—from its construction to its operationalization. Today, we are immensely proud to see this dream become a reality. We are honoured to have Overland Airways as the pioneer airline for this project, setting the foundation for expanded air travel connectivity in Niger State. Mr. Governor is particularly proud of this achievement, which aligns with his vision of modernizing infrastructure and boosting economic development in Niger State.”
The Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the New Niger Aviation, Alhaji Liman Katamba Kutigi, says: “This partnership with Overland Airways will ensure regular and robust flight services from Abuja and Lagos to Minna, Niger State. We are thrilled to partner with Overland Airways, which has a reputation for excellent customer service and reliability, and look forward to working together to reposition the aviation sector and economy of Niger State.”
“Known as the Power State, Niger State, the largest state in Nigeria by landmass and host of major hydroelectric power dams and other businesses, requires reliable air services to drive its economic development and Overland Airways is uniquely positioned to meet this need”, says Capt. Boyo.
Overland Airways service offering has evolved from an all-turboprop fleet to a mixed fleet with the introduction of brand-new Embraer E175 jets. In October 2024, Overland Airways renewed its IOSA safety certification for the 5th consecutive time reaffirming its position as a safe and leading African carrier.
Industry leaders have identified important measures to secure telecommunications infrastructures in the country and ensure that investments in the telecoms space are protected.
They argued that as much as the effective implementation of the Executive Order on the Designation and Protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) is important, the Order cannot solely guarantee infrastructure safety except certain internal and standardisation issues are first resolved by operators.
Speaking at the 7th Policy Implementation Assisted Forum (PIAFo) Summit on CNII implementation held Thursday in Lagos, the industry leaders highlighted pressing issues such as infrastructure vandalism, unauthorized installations, and cable theft, while proposing actionable solutions to safeguard the country’s critical national infrastructure.
Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), stressed the importance of proper infrastructure maintenance and installation to prevent vandalism and theft.
He highlighted the widespread issue of stolen manhole covers and poles, attributing the problem to poor maintenance practices. “When properly installed, these components are difficult to remove. However, due to negligence, they are often left unsecured, making them easy targets for theft,” he said.
Adebayo also pointed out that community resistance to infrastructure projects has significantly hindered progress. He recounted instances where local communities prevented trucks from accessing sites due to previous unaddressed damages caused by contractors.
“A diesel supplier was blocked from entering an estate because a previous contractor had damaged their property and failed to make repairs. This lack of accountability breeds distrust and delays crucial projects,” he explained.
He urged stakeholders to foster better relationships with communities to prevent such conflicts.
Another critical issue Adebayo identified was the unauthorized installation of infrastructure without government approval, leading to inadvertent damage during road construction projects.
“Government agencies often damage unregistered infrastructure simply because they were not documented in official records. Proper approvals and collaboration with authorities will ensure accountability and protection of critical infrastructure,” he noted.
He called for improved industry coordination to resolve these challenges internally before seeking external solutions that are promised by the CNII provisions.
Echoing these concerns, Tony Emoekpere, President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), emphasised the need for standardisation and better coordination among stakeholders.
He pointed out that Nigeria’s infrastructure challenges go beyond technical issues, extending into environmental and moral concerns.
“We are dealing with a moral challenge. An engineer who switched from diesel to gas generators encountered a new problem—workers began stealing engine oil instead, as they could no longer siphon diesel. These issues require both technical and ethical solutions,” he explained.
Emoekpere argued that standardisation is the key to long-term sustainability. “If infrastructure is deployed in a suboptimal manner, failure is inevitable. We need to establish proper standards that all stakeholders—government, private sector, and the public—can align with,” he stated.
He also emphasized that Nigeria has strong policies, such as local content policies, but implementation remains a major challenge. “We must move beyond discussions and focus on actionable steps, follow-ups, and policy enforcement,” he added.
The importance of addressing cable theft and vandalism was further stressed by Wale Owoeye, CEO of Cedarview Communications Limited.
He described the alarming frequency of cable cuts, which disrupt network operations and drive up maintenance costs.
“Cable theft is a serious issue. Airtel representatives told me they experience a cable cut every six minutes. The assumption that all black cables contain valuable copper leads to reckless vandalism,” he explained.
To combat this growing problem, Owoeye proposed three key approaches, including reorientation, enforcement, and proactive measures.
“We need to engage local communities in their native languages, educating them on the consequences of vandalism. Strict legal penalties, including long-term imprisonment, should be enforced to deter offenders,” he said.
He also emphasized the need for preventive strategies rather than reactive responses. “Prevention is always more effective and cost-efficient than restoration,” he noted.
As a proactive measure, Owoeye proposed the creation of a dedicated fund to support advocacy and awareness campaigns across Nigeria.
To demonstrate his commitment, he pledged to contribute N500,000 quarterly as a seed fund and encouraged other industry players to follow suit.
“This is like planting a seed. With collective effort, we can grow it into a sustainable solution for protecting Nigeria’s telecom infrastructure,” he said.
The speakers collectively emphasised that addressing these challenges requires collaboration among industry players, government agencies, and local communities.
They called for a concerted effort to enforce policies, engage stakeholders, and implement practical solutions that will ensure the long-term sustainability of Nigeria’s telecommunication infrastructure.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has confirmed that the representatives of the petitioners seeking to recall the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District have now provided their contact details.
In a statement on Wednesday, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information & Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, said:
“The contact address of representatives of the petitioners, their telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses have now been provided in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Commission.”
He added that INEC has formally notified the senator about the recall petition.
“As provided in Clause 2(a) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, a letter has been written to notify the senator sought to be recalled about the receipt of the petition and delivered to her official address,” Olumekun stated.
He further explained that the same letter had been copied to the presiding officer of the Senate and published on the Commission’s website.
Speaking on the next step, Olumekun said INEC would now verify the signatures to ensure that more than 50% of registered voters in Kogi Central signed the petition.
“This will be done in the coming days. The outcome, which will be made public, shall determine the next step to be taken by the Commission,” he said.
Olumekun reassured Nigerians that the recall process would be conducted in an open and transparent manner.
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