The seizure of the disputed multi-billion naira property at Plot 4022, O.B. Lulu-Briggs Street, Guzape, Abuja, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has triggered explosive allegations of abuse of office against former Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, over claims that he deployed the Nigeria Police Force to shield an alleged land fraud suspect, frustrate criminal investigations and intimidate government officials.
The property, which the EFCC took over on June 29 after a dramatic enforcement operation, is at the centre of a protracted ownership dispute involving 80-year-old widow, Mrs. Colleen Mero Yesufu, and Abuja-based real estate developer Rebecca Omokamo Godwin-Isaac, also known as “Becky” or Hajiya Bilkisu Ishaku Aliyu.
According to documents and accounts reviewed by SaharaReporters, the EFCC’s operation followed an alleged attempt by armed plainclothes policemen attached to the property to obstruct officials of the anti-graft agency. Four armed officers were reportedly arrested during the operation and handed over to the Force Headquarters for investigation.
Police sources reportedly disclosed that Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu expressed displeasure over the deployment of unauthorised officers to protect a private individual, describing the action as inconsistent with existing police directives and President Bola Tinubu’s order prohibiting the attachment of police personnel to politicians and private citizens without approval.
The controversy stems from events dating back to August 2023 when the Yesufu family allegedly discovered that their Guzape property had been taken over by developers operating under Homadil Realty Limited using what investigators later described as forged title documents, a fake Power of Attorney and manipulated land records.
An investigation by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), led by the Director of Investigation and Prosecution, Barrister Joseph Eriki, reportedly concluded that the development on the land was illegal and recommended the demolition of structures on the site, prosecution of those involved and cancellation of the building approval.
Following the findings, the FCTA revoked the approval, sealed the property and sought police assistance to enforce its directive. However, the case allegedly took a dramatic turn after Egbetokun assumed office as Inspector-General of Police.
According to the report, police enforcement was abruptly halted, suspects arrested during an operation were allegedly released on the orders of the IGP’s office, and investigations into the case were discontinued without explanation.
The report further alleged that armed police officers were thereafter stationed permanently at the disputed property, preventing FCTA officials from carrying out lawful enforcement. Some officials claimed they were threatened by senior police officers and warned to stay away from the site.
Lawyers representing the Yesufu family also alleged that more than 50 petitions submitted to the Office of the Inspector-General between 2023 and 2026 received no meaningful response, forcing the family to petition the EFCC for an independent investigation.
The EFCC’s investigation later widened beyond the Guzape property after investigators reportedly uncovered additional allegations involving disputed plots in Katampe, where dozens of prospective land buyers were allegedly defrauded through forged ownership documents.
Investigators further alleged that when EFCC operatives attempted to arrest Rebecca Omokamo in March 2025 after she reportedly violated the conditions of her administrative bail, armed police officers attached to her residence resisted the operation and allegedly fired tear gas at anti-graft officers before senior police officers facilitated her escape.
The report also alleged that parallel criminal and civil proceedings were manipulated to frustrate the EFCC’s prosecution, including claims that a weak police prosecution was deliberately instituted to create legal obstacles for the anti-graft agency’s case.
Court records cited in the investigation further alleged that attempts were made to transfer related civil suits to preferred courts without the knowledge of the opposing parties, while key FCTA officials involved in exposing the alleged land fraud later became subjects of criminal proceedings.
The report equally raised concerns over alleged internal sabotage within the EFCC, including the transfer of key investigators and the leakage of confidential disciplinary documents connected to prosecutors handling the matter.
Perhaps the most disturbing allegation concerns claims that a second Nigerian international passport was allegedly issued to the defendant while her original passport remained in court custody as part of her bail conditions. The report alleged that the duplicate passport enabled multiple international trips despite the ongoing criminal proceedings.
The allegations have intensified calls for a comprehensive investigation into the conduct of officials across the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Immigration Service and other government institutions allegedly linked to the case.
Neither former Inspector-General Kayode Egbetokun nor Rebecca Omokamo has publicly responded to the allegations contained in the report. Likewise, the Nigeria Police Force has yet to issue an official statement addressing the claims.
The EFCC, however, continues to pursue its prosecution as legal proceedings over the disputed property and the alleged land fraud continue before the courts, with observers describing the case as one of the most significant tests of Nigeria’s commitment to accountability, institutional integrity and the rule of law in recent years.