Daniel Otera
At 79, Hajia Colleen Mero Yesufu expected a quiet retirement. Instead, she is fighting a bruising legal and emotional battle against powerful property interests, alleged police collaborators, and a failing justice system in Nigeria’s capital city.
In a public letter dated 10 June 2025, Mrs Yesufu appealed directly to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, pleading for urgent intervention in what she described as a “grave land fraud” that has left her dispossessed of four prime plots in Guzape and Katampe districts of Abuja.
“My hope, and the hope of my family, rests on your timely and decisive intervention,” she wrote in the seven-page open letter seen by The Journal.
Mrs Yesufu claims that her properties Plot 4022 in Guzape and Plots 1861, 1862, and 1863 in Katampe were acquired over several decades and legally registered. However, she alleges that a woman identified as Rebecca Omokamo Godwin-Isaac, also known as Bilikisu Ishaku Aliyu, fraudulently took over the properties using forged documents.
The widow further alleges that the suspect, aided by complicit police officers and officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), not only trespassed on her land but sold the plots to more than 70 unsuspecting buyers. Some of the plots have been developed into buildings, while others remain fenced off and under armed guard.
Attached to her petition were images showing an uncompleted structure on one of the Guzape plots. According to her, the current occupants have neither presented valid title documents nor obtained building approvals.
The Journal has learned that the dispute triggered separate investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the FCTA, following a 2024 directive from the Presidency.
Mrs Yesufu claims that findings from these agencies indicted Ms Godwin-Isaac for alleged forgery, identity fraud, and racketeering. According to her, the reports were forwarded to President Tinubu’s office after the accused submitted a counter-petition denying all allegations.
But nearly a year later, she laments official silence.
“This silence, after such compelling findings, deepens the injustice and encourages impunity,” she warned in her letter.
In an earlier letter to the President, Ms Godwin-Isaac described herself as “honest” and “God-fearing”, while accusing the EFCC of persecuting her. She insisted that she had “perfected documents” and claimed three years of peaceful ownership.
Mrs Yesufu has dismissed these claims as deliberate misinformation.
“These assertions of personal integrity and lawful acquisition stand in stark contrast to the overwhelming and irrefutable evidence of her criminal activities… documented by independent government agencies,” she wrote.
The widow also expressed concerns about the accused’s alleged political connections, citing her publicised appearances at the Presidential Villa and claims of being part of President Tinubu’s 2024 delegation to Doha, Qatar.
She further alleged that Ms Omokamo adopted multiple identities to facilitate the fraud transitioning from “Rebecca Omokamo” to “Bilikisu Ishaku Aliyu.” While name changes are legal, Mrs Yesufu believes this pattern was used to mask fraudulent land acquisitions.
This is not an isolated incident
In December 2024, the EFCC secured an interim forfeiture order from the Federal High Court in Abuja, covering several plots in Guzape and Katampe. The Commission alleged that the properties were acquired through forged Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) documents and fraudulent transactions involving a well-coordinated land racketeering syndicate.
By January 2025, the EFCC announced the recovery and return of multiple fake land title documents to their rightful owners, revealing how the syndicate operated using forged signatures and insider collusion.
Also in January, the FCT Police Command arraigned key officials of Homadil Realty Limited including one Rebecca Isaac, also known as Bilikisu Ishaku Aliyu before the FCT High Court in Apo. The defendants were charged with criminal conspiracy, impersonation, and use of forged title documents to defraud land buyers. Some of the plots in question matched those already under EFCC investigation.
Mrs Yesufu listed her requests to the President as follows:
Enforcement of existing court orders transferring the disputed lands to the EFCC
Restoration of her rightful ownership
Prosecution of all individuals implicated in the alleged fraud
Disciplinary action against any public officials who enabled the fraud
She also raised serious concerns about the conduct of the Nigeria Police Force.
Despite formal charges filed by both the EFCC and the Office of the Inspector General of Police, she alleges that the accused continues to receive armed police protection and remains in possession of the disputed properties.
“The Nigeria Police Force is being used to dispossess, trespass, and fraudulently occupy my properties,” she alleged, pointing to what she called deliberate interference by the former FCT Police Commissioner, Mr Tunji Disu.
As of press time, The Journal could not independently confirm whether the EFCC or the FCTA had executed the forfeiture orders granted by the Federal High Court.
Yet, the widow’s words echo with urgency.
“For too long, I have endured a continuous battle against grave criminality. I am only seeking justice, not favour. I want to leave a legacy of truth, not silence.”
