The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday arraigned Abuja-based real estate developer Rebecca Godwin-Isaac, along with others, in two separate land fraud cases that also include charges of laundering N800 million allegedly obtained from the scams.
Ms Godwin-Isaac, also known as Bilikisu Ishaku Aliyu, who is facing multiple land fraud charges in various courts, appeared alongside her co-defendants before trial judge Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
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The two cases in which the defendants were jointly charged were heard in turns on Wednesday.
The defendants are Ms Godwin-Isaac, her husband, Isaac Yusuf; Richard John (also referred to as Idagwo John), and two companies, Homadil Realty Limited and Rychado Homes Limited.
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In the first case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/77/2025, the defendants were arraigned on six counts of fraudulent acquisition of Plot 4022 in the Guzape District of Abuja.
In the other matter marked as FHC/ABJ/CR/76/2025, EFCC arraigned them on 17 counts of fraudulent sales of plots of land in Katampe District, Cadastral Zone B07. The charges in the case include money laundering involving N800 million proceeds of the alleged fraudulent sale.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to all charges read out during the two separate court sessions.
Each session concluded with a bail hearing, after which the court adjourned for trial.
With the defence lawyers presenting identical bail arguments in both cases—and the prosecution maintaining the same position—the judge issued a uniform ruling that applied to all defendants in the two matters.
The lawyer to Ms Godwin-Isaac and Mr Yusuf – the first and the second defendants – C.A.S. Christopher Oshomegie, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), urged the court to grant bail to his clients on humanitarian grounds, citing the need for them to care for their two-year-old child.
He also requested that Mr Yusuf be temporarily released to him pending the perfection of his bail.
The prosecution team led by Samuel Chime did not oppose the requests.
The fourth defendant, Mr John, represented by another SAN, M.A. Ebute, did not file a formal bail application. His lawyer rather applied orally for bail on his behalf.
Remand and release ruling
In her ruling, Mrs Abdulmalik granted bail to Mrs Godwin-Isaac and her husband, Mr Yusuf, in the sum of N10 million each, with two sureties in like sum. The sureties must be federal civil servants not below Grade Level 16, present evidence of salary for the last three months, submit title documents of landed property, and surrender their passports to the court. The court further ordered that the defendants must not travel outside the country without the court’s approval.
While the court ordered Mrs. Godwin-Isaac to be remanded at the Suleja Correctional Centre pending the fulfilment of her bail conditions, it granted Mr. Yusuf temporary release into the custody of his counsel. This decision followed a plea by their lawyer, who requested that at least one of the couple be allowed to return home to care for their young child.
But Mr John, who did not file a formal bail application and only relied on his lawyer’s oral submission, was denied bail. He was ordered to be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre,pending further proceedings in both cases.
The prosecution expressed readiness to proceed in the case with 13 witnesses lined up for both cases.
The judge scheduled trials in both cases to commence consecutively on 21 and 22 July.
Charges
The first case, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/77/2025, involves charges accusing the defendants of fraudulently acquired Plot 4022 in Guzape District, Abuja.
According to the anti-graft agency, the accused persons forged land documents and a Power of Attorney and made false representations to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS), and the Department of Development Control in a bid to secure ownership of the plot.
The EFCC further alleged that the forged documents were used to obtain building approvals, after which the property was sold through Homadil Realty Ltd. The proceeds, the commission said, were disguised as legitimate real estate income.
It also charged them defrauding Dana Waziri of N70 million under false pretences through a fraudulent land deal.
Similarly, in the second case, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/76/2025, EFCC charged the defendants with 17 counts accusing them of fraudulent sales of land plots in Katampe District, Cadastral Zone B07, and laundering of the proceeds.
The EFCC alleged that the defendants falsely claimed ownership of Plots 1861, 1862, and 1863, and fraudulently collected hundreds of millions of naira from prospective buyers between 2023 and 2024.
Specifically, Mrs Godwin-Isaac was accused of receiving N62 million from Abu Abubakar Gambo, N75 million from Usman Abba Jalo, and N100 million from Veti Integrated Concept Ltd and Triodos Integrated Ltd.
She was also charged with laundering N500 million through Homadil Realty Ltd.
Mrs Godwin-Isaac denied wrongdoing in a petition addressed to President Bola Tinubu in July 2024.
She claimed in the petition that she legally acquired the disputed Guzape plot from her former employer, Mr Richard, and possessed genuine documents.
However, an internal investigation by the FCTA Legal Secretariat, which the presidency ordered following Mrs Godwin-Isaac’s petition, found that a staff member of the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) had illegally inserted and deleted electronic notations in favour of Mrs Godwin-Isaac, facilitating development approval for the disputed land.
A letter dated 8 October 2024, signed by FCTA General Counsel Salman Dako, acknowledged the manipulation and noted that the AGIS Director could not identify the staff involved.
Other trial and forfeiture
In January, the Nigeria Police Force arraigned Mrs Godwin-Isaac and other defendants before an FCT High Court in Apo, Abuja, on similar charges. The judge, Sadia Mayana, granted them bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties each.
In December 2024, trial judge Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja granted an interim 60-day forfeiture order on the disputed plots, pending EFCC’s investigation.
The order cited forged documents and irregular development permits as grounds for the temporary forfeiture.
79-year-old cries out
Colleen Yesufu, a 79-year-old woman, who claimed to be the rightful owner of the properties in Guzape and Katampe, Abuja, has petitioned President Bola Tinubu in an open letter, alleging fraudulent takeover and sale of the properties.
She accused Ms Godwin-Isaac of orchestrating the land fraud in collusion with corrupt police officers and land officials.
In the letter obtained by PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, Mrs Yesufu said she was writing in response to Ms Godwin-Isaac’s earlier open letter to the president, where the developer denied any wrongdoing and claimed lawful ownership of the disputed plots.
Mrs Yesufu said her properties—Plot 4022 in Guzape and Plots 1861, 1862, and 1863 in Katampe—were acquired through legitimate means over decades but were unlawfully taken and sold using forged land documents.
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