A
former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory has landed in the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission's net over a heinous crime.
Bala Mohammed
Bala Mohammed, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory,
is being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
According to Premium Times, the man is being investigated for his alleged financial crimes in excess of N1.6 trillion.
Sources within the agency have revealed that Mr. Mohammed, who
served from April 2010 until May 2015, was allegedly involved in
extensive land racketeering as a minister.
Prices of lands in Abuja are amongst the highest in Africa. A 1,400 sqm piece of land could go for as high as N250 million.
Plots can sell in upscale areas of Asokoro, Maitama and Wuse 2 for over a billion naira. “After computation of the land deals that he struck, we discovered that more than N1.6 trillion could not be accounted for,” a source said.
Mr. Mohammed, a former senator from Bauchi State, was arrested on
October 24 by EFCC operatives. He has not been released since then.
Sources said the EFCC had procured a court order to remand him for a longer period.
The former minister could not be reached for comments.
Mr. Mohammed was the first senator who publicly declared his
support for the then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan to be made
president, in the dying days of the Yar’adua administration between late
2009 and early 2010.
He later led a group of Senators to successfully press for the
activation of the so-called doctrine of necessity that made Mr. Jonathan
acting president.
The House of Representatives flank of that push was led by a former member, Seriake Dickson.
While Mr. Dickson later became governor with the support of the
former president, Mr. Mohammed got the FCT post for all of Mr.
Jonathan’s six years in power.
The FCT ministerial position is seen by Nigerian politicians as one of the most “lucrative” cabinet portfolios.
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