By Kingsley Okoye
A non-governmental organisation, Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights (CASER), has urged the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to urgently intervene and protect Nigerians from rising menace of fraudulent land sales across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Executive Director of CASER, Mr Frank Tietie, made the call in a letter addressed to management of FCCPC and made available to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
Tietie expressed deep concern over the alarming proliferation of unregulated land vendors operating in Abuja and across social media platforms.
He said it was worrisome that thousands of plots and purported “estate developments” were being marketed and sold for millions of Naira without any verifiable title or certification from the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
According to him, many of the land transactions are based on false claims, fabricated documents and misleading assurances designed to lure unsuspecting members of the public into parting with substantial sums of money.
“What we are witnessing is a coordinated pattern of consumer exploitation.
“Unscrupulous land vendors are taking advantage of regulatory gaps to defraud Nigerians of their life savings under the guise of property ownership,” he stated.
Tietie said that victims of the scams were often left with no legal title, facing protracted disputes, and in many cases becoming entangled in police investigations and costly litigation, with little hope of recovering their funds.
He said that the situation posed a serious threat not only to individual consumers but also to public confidence in Nigeria’s real estate sector and the integrity of land administration in the FCT.
“Relying on the provisions of FCCPC Act 2018, CASER urged the FCCPC to take immediate and decisive steps to curb fraudulent practices and safeguard consumers.
“Specifically, CASER calls on FCCPC to develop and enforce strict regulatory standards governing the advertisement and sale of land and real estate and mandate full disclosure of land title status and approvals in all property transactions,” he said.
The CASER executive director called for establishment of a transparent verification system, in collaboration with the FCTA to enable buyers confirm the authenticity of land before purchase.
He also called on FCCPC to introduce licensing and accreditation requirements for all land vendors and estate developers operating in Abuja.
Tietie advocated for a launch of nationwide public awareness campaigns on the risks of unverified land transactions, investigate and prosecute individuals and entities engaging in fraudulent land marketing schemes.
He urged the commission to work with digital platforms and relevant authorities to monitor and regulate misleading property advertisements circulating online.
“The protection of consumers in Nigeria must extend to the real estate sector.
“The current situation, if left unchecked, will continue to erode public trust and expose citizens to devastating financial losses,” he said.
According to him, addressing land fraud in Abuja is not only a consumer protection imperative but also a critical step toward strengthening governance, transparency and rule of law in Nigeria’s urban development framework.
He reaffirmed CASER’s commitment to pursuing lawful measures, including regulatory engagement and possible legal action, to ensure that Nigerians were protected from economic exploitation in the real estate sector.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by ‘Wale Sadeeq
