A prosecution witness, Abu Gambo, on Monday recounted at the Federal High Court in Abuja his ordeal following a N62 million land deal he struck with an Abuja realtor.
Mr Gambo, a businessman and facility manager, testified before trial judge Joyce Abdulmalik that he paid N62 million to Rebecca Godwin-Isaac for two plots of land: Plots 17 and 18 within Plot 1862, Katampe District, Abuja.
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Ms Godwin-Isaac and her company, Homadil Realty Limited, alongside Richard John and his company, Rychado Homes Limited. The defendants face 17 counts of fraudulent land sales and money laundering.
Led in evidence by EFCC lawyer, Samuel Chime, the first prosecution witness, Mr Gambo, narrated how he met Ms Godwin-Isaac in 2023 through an agent who introduced him to a staff member of Mr John, the third defendant. After a failed offer for land in Jahi, Abuja, he was introduced to Ms Godwin-Isaac, who offered him Plot 17 within Plot 1862 in Katampe District.
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The witness said she presented a Right of Occupancy (R-of-O) purportedly issued by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), showing that the title had been transferred from Fafam Nigeria Limited to Homadil Realty Limited.
“She told me she got the approval in 2022 and asked me to verify at the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS),” Mr Gambo said. “When I checked with AGIS, the details she gave me appeared on their system.”
He testified that he paid N35 million for Plot 17, including foundation-level construction, and later paid N27 million for Plot 18, bringing the total to N62 million. He also gave her an additional N1.5 million for supervision.
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He said Ms Godwin-Isaac issued him coloured copies of allocation letters, allocation certificates, purchase agreements, and payment receipts, all in the name of Homadil Realty Limited and signed by her as CEO. He said the documents for Plot 17 were dated 25 August 2023, while those for Plot 18 were dated 29 November 2023.
According to the witness, the EFCC marked the property in September 2024. When he returned to AGIS to re-verify ownership, the records he previously confirmed had “disappeared from the system.”
He said when he informed Ms Godwin-Isaac, she became upset and told him she could refund his money if he wanted.
Documents admitted as exhibits
Mr Chime tendered the documents received by the witness, including allocation certificates, allocation letters, invoices, and a photocopy of the R-of-O from Fafam Nigeria Limited.
Ms Godwin-Isaac admitted issuing all the documents except the R-of-O from Fafam Nigeria Limited, which she said was only a photocopy. Her lawyer did not oppose the admissibility of the other documents but objected to the photocopy. The third and fourth defendants’ lawyer, M.A. Ebute, did not object.
The judge admitted all the documents as exhibits marked ABC and DEFGH, including the photocopy of the R-of-O.
The case was adjourned until 9 October for the hearing of defendants’ preliminary objection and continuation of the trial.
Earlier on Monday, the first and second defendants’ lawyer, Christopher Oshomegie, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), sought an adjournment.
He cited the death of Ms Godwin-Isaac’s uncle and her need to attend a posthumous event.
Mr Oshomegie also informed the court that the defence had filed a preliminary objection challenging the charges and had served the prosecution.
But the prosecution lawyer, Mr Chime, who informed the judge that he had four prosecution witness in court ready to testify on Monday, denied being properly served.
Mr Chime said he only received the application in court just before proceedings started on Monday.
The judge also confirmed there was no proof of service in the court’s record and declined to entertain the objection.
Ms Abdulmalik then refused the adjournment request due to a lack of supporting evidence and ordered the prosecution to open its case.
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Background and other cases
In the ongoing trial, Ms Godwin-Isaac is accused of collecting over N237 million from multiple buyers and laundering N500 million through Homadil Realty Limited.
She is also facing trial in another case before the same judge alongside her husband, Isaac Yusuf, Mr John, and their companies. In that case, the EFCC accused them of forging documents to fraudulently acquire Plot 4022 in Guzape District, Abuja, obtaining building approvals using the forgeries, and selling the land through Homadil Realty Ltd.
They are also accused of defrauding Dana Waziri of N70 million through a separate land deal.
In another case, the Nigeria police arraigned Ms Godwin-Isaac and others in January before an FCT High Court in Apo, Abuja, on related charges.
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