A businessman, Muhammad Bature, on Wednesday, accused former Zonal Manager, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Mr Lugard Edegbe, of plot to appropriate his land located at Sabon Lugbe area of Abuja.
Bature, a star witness, in a case between the Commissioner of Police and Edegbe, told the presiding Magistrate, Mrs Elizabeth Wonni, of Court 18, Wuse Magistrate Court, Abuja.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Edegbe is being charged with criminal conspiracy, trespass and forgery.
The 59-year-old man is accused to have sold a plot of land measuring 2.7 hectares belonging to Bature to one Mrs Aisha Shettima.
At the hearing, Amadi Peter, police prosecutor from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Force Headquarters, told Mrs Wonni that the matter was for commencement of trial.
The witness, Bature, while giving his evidence, said he bought the land around April 2009.
“I am a car dealer and the name of my business is M.A. Bature Motors. I bought the land for N5 million,” he said.
Bature narrated how the land documents were processed from a company name, Karmenla Vourla Holding Nig. Ltd., and a change of ownership done at the Abuja Geographical Information System (AGIS).
He said Duruolu Nig. Ltd. was the first name in the allocation before a change of ownership was done to Karmenla Vourla Holding Nig. Ltd.
The witness told the court that sometimes ago, a woman by name, Mrs Aisha Shettima, called him, claiming to be the owner of the plot.
He said Shettima said she bought the land from Lugard, who had retired from service over 15 years ago.
He said at a point, they all (he and Shettima) went to the Land Department of FCT to verify the authenticity of the documents and that it was confirmed that he had the genuine papers.
Bature, who said he petitioned the police on the matter, said Lugard later claimed that the documents were stolen from him and that the papers he had were fake, having been stolen from him.
“Lugard now started saying that my paper is a stolen paper that one Hope Usiosefe, his nephew, stole the paper from him,” he said.
The witness said the police asked him if he did a police report, court affidavit or newspaper publication to prove that the documents were truly stolen but that Lugard could not answer the questions.
He also said Usiosefe, who had also testified before the police that his uncle, Edegbe, gave him the land as a gift long time before he decided to sell it to him, had also accepted to be a witness before the court.
Wonni, after counsel to the defendant, Elechi Nicholas, completed his cross examination, adjourned the matter till March 24 for continuation of hearing.
NAN reports that the first information report (FIR) indicated that the Inspector-General of Police received the petition on June 12, 2017, alleging that Edegbe and one Aisha Bature (still at large) sometimes between 2009 and 2017 conspired and forged an offer of terms of grant of approval bearing the name Duruola Nig. Ltd. dated March 1998 in respect of the land, purportedly made by the zonal planning office of AMA.
The FIR also alleged that Edegbe, being a public servant, knowingly framed an incorrect document in a manner that is likely to cause injury. (NAN)