Kogiflame
Twenty-five years after his death, the children of the late Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Muhammed Sani Omolori, have petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged theft of N7 billion worth of properties belonging to their late father.
The children, who were still young as of the time the monarch died, believe that their late father’s business associates and some family members may be behind the alleged theft of documents of three landed properties located in Maitama, Katampe and Mabushi districts of the Federal Capital Territory.
A copy of the petition made available to THE WHISTLER on Sunday showed that the EFCC acknowledged it on September 14, 2021.
Omolori, who is related to the immediate past clark of the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani Omolori, died in 1996 after ruling Ebiraland in Kogi State for 40 years.
In the petition titled “seven (7) Billion Naira Property Fraud” and jointly singed by Buhari and Nasir Sani Omolori, the children alleged that a briefcase containing relevant documents and other valuables of their late father was stolen within one week of his death.
They want the anti-graft agency to investigate the properties and compel the occupants to produce missing documents for other properties owned by the late monarch.
They identified three of the properties as: “Maitama (FCT/ABU/KW.885, PLOT NUMBER 2715 ZONE A 6), Katampe (FCT/ABU/MISC 8875, PLOT NUMBER 660 667867)06 DISTRICT, CADASTRAL ZONE 7), and Mabushi (KW1259, PLOT NUMBER 205, CADZONE: B06)”
The petition further stated, “Other lands whose documents we can’t get a hold on are the Asokoro and another Maitama plot said to be where the German Embassy is located.
“Our father had leased the Maitama plots (2715) to BODCO-TRUST INVESTMENTS LIMITED for a period of 20 years and part of the agreement with the agency is to build a house worth 3-4 million naira on the land and by the end of the contract the land plus the structure they constructed will be returned to our father, unfortunately, he died before the agreed time elapsed. He had spoken about his Maitama and Katampe lands to some of us Just months before he passed away.
“Our father’s brief-case where all original documents and other valuables are kept was stolen before his 8th-day prayer. We believe that anyone responsible for any of the above-mentioned lands should be made to provide the other ones whose papers are not handy.”
The late monarch’s children further alleged that years after his death, the family is yet receive payment for a contract which their late father executed for the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).
They said the project with contract number “FCDA/DM/G/BM/96/8” was executed through the late monarch’s company, Kareem Mohammad Tata and sons Ltd.
“…he died while awaiting payment. We never received any payment,” they said, adding that “It is worthy of note that some of our brothers could perfectly sign his signature and may have backdated documents to collect the proceeds.”
According to the late monarch’s children, the estimated value of their father’s missing properties “should not be less than seven billion naira” adding that, “Such recoveries will go a long way in helping the very many of us who have been deprived of our inheritance rights.
“The youngest among us at the time of our father’s passing was just five years old. Today about ten (10) of us have died, mostly in their early thirties, dying of preventable causes, if there were basic resources.”
The late Omolori reigned as Ohinoyi from 1956 to 1996. He ascended the throne after serving as a soldier in the British colonial army.
He was one time the Administrative Secretary of the Ebira Traditional Council.
