Wike Takes Action Against Fake Land Document, Demands NIN Verification For Property Certificates

Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, the minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has vowed to eliminate syndicates engaged in providing fake Certificates of Occupancy (C of Os) to unsuspecting individuals in the nation’s capital.

Drawing from his experience as the former governor of Rivers State, where he received three counterfeit C of Os after paying N57 million, Wike expressed dissatisfaction with the prevalence of fake land documents.

Wike, who disclosed this at a meeting with estate developers in Abuja, revealed that since taking office in August this year, he has successfully saved over N110 billion.

Expressing frustration with the alarming frequency of fake Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) issuance, he announced a new policy, stating that henceforth, a fee of N5 million would be required for acquiring a C of O.

He emphasized that the era in which unsuspecting individuals were assigned a single plot of land with various counterfeit Certificates of Occupancy (C of Os) is now a thing of the past.

The minister expressed his plan to request presidential approval for the inclusion of the National Identification Number (NIN) as a requirement for obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O).

Drawing on his experience as the governor of Rivers State, he recalled an incident where officials from the FCTA provided him with a counterfeit C of O.

He criticized the monthly disbursement of N8.9 billion as salaries to FCTA and FCDA workers.

The developers unanimously on their part, pleaded with the minister to reduce the N5 million payment for C of O.

Following a strong appeal from the developers, the minister stated that the payment could be spread over four months, and upon completion, the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) would be handed over to the applicant.

He said: “I can tell you authoritatively that I have saved not less than N110 billion for FCTA since I assumed office three months ago.

“Allocation of lands to three or more persons will no longer be allowed. C of O enables you to do business.

“When we make the right decision some people will be happy, some will not. We are ready for such a fight.

“When I was governor of Rivers State, we had three C of Os from FCT. Three. It turned out that all were fake. The C of O was coming from FCTA as a government, not as an individual.”

The plots were either allocated or claimed to be, we made the necessary payments. However, when I sent the Liaison Officer, the FCTA representatives escorted him to the land, and later it was revealed to be fake. Reflect on the considerable sum we had paid—N57 million.

The individuals involved vanished, and our efforts to locate them were in vain. This modus operandi, observed in the FCT, is unacceptable. I have asserted that such practices will not be allowed to persist.

“I will seek Mr. President’s approval to link any C of O to the NIN number so that we know when this house falls, we will know the owner. So that when a crime is committed on a property, we will know the owner. This is what happens in developed countries. The rich men will kick against it but anything that will help our people must be done.”

“Support this move. There must be sanity in our system. You will attest to the fact that there are changes. How will you feel that at the end of the day, you have a C of O but it is fake or that your land is allocated to another person”?

Kanyi Daily recalls that the Nyesom Wike had committed to prioritizing infrastructure development before allocating land in the territory.