It was a humongous but fraudulently packaged deal draped in a shady acquisition of a Federal Government purportedly owned property and now being sentimentally sold to the public as an attempt by a wealthy business man; Olatunde Ayeni, chairman NATCOM, the consortium that bought over the assets of first National Carrier, NITEL and its mobile operator, Mtel, to bully a ‘poor woman; Nelly Udele, who was described as a private business person and a spouse of one Mr. Udele, who was Chief Security Officer to former Delta State governor, James Ibori, of her entitlements.
Plot 697, House 134 on Mallam Aminu Kano in Wuse 2 Abuja, the subject of the battle for its true ownership was one of the properties of the now defunct NITEL /Mtel and it was from there that the liquidators that conducted and seal the deal that resulted in Dr. Olatunde Ayenis NATCOM Consortium emerging the preferred bidder and subsequent owner of NITEL/Mtel after paying $256m reserved price. The said property was one of several properties of the Telecom company enumerated when the new owners conducted a due diligence before making payment and subsequent takeover of NITEL and its assets.
According to documents cited by National Infinity, in a letter dated December 18, 2014 and signed by Sen. Bala Mohammed, then honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory addressed to Nelly Udele, we refer to your application and subsequent successful walk in bid to purchase the property owned by the federal government
The purchase price of the property, the letter went further, as per the reserve price shall be N7,500,000 (Seven Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira only) which the lessee is expected to pay within 2 weeks
What was sold to a non-civil servant, Nelly Udele, under federal governments monetization policy for N7.5m in Wuse 2, an area reputed to be haven of the very rich and powerful, was a detached bungalow whose market value at that time was about N500m. Sources within the FCDA in Abuja told National Infinity that deals like Plot 697 House 134 were common practice among staff of the Adhoc Committee on the sale of Federal government houses and it is a case study for the anti graft agencies.
Sources at the FCDA, who spoke to National Infinity on condition of anonymity, maintained that some staff of the authority in connivance with members of the Adhoc Committee were in the habit of short changing the federal government by intentionally under valuing its properties, source for buyers who will in turn pay them heavy compensation. They revealed, selling Plot 697 House 134 in Wuse 2 for N7.5m is like selling a government house in highbrow Ikoyi Lagos for the same amount.
Nelly Udele accented the letter on the same 18th of December, 2014, and witnessed by one Ayanlere Olujide the same day it was signed by the minister and must have made payment within the stipulated 2 weeks, but never took possession, and the property remained vacant until NATCOM moved in early this year.
Plot 697, the land on which the property was built was originally leased to one Hassan Mohammed from Sokoto State by a Certificate of Occupancy dated July 7, 1986 and signed by Air Commodore Hamza Abdullai, then Minister for the Federal Capital Territory. Ownership was later transferred to NITEL when the said Hassan Mohammed sold the land for N380,000 in December 1998.
