Executive Director Citizens Advocacy for Social & Economic Rights (CASER), Frank Tietie, Esq.
FCT Land Scam: CASER Demands Urgent FCCPC Crackdown on Fraudulent Property Deals
By Goodness Ekpang
A major consumer rights alarm has been raised over the escalating wave of land fraud in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, as the Citizens Advocacy for Social & Economic Rights (CASER) has called for immediate intervention by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
In a strongly worded statement issued Tuesday, 24, 2026, by the Executive Director Citizens Advocacy for Social & Economic Rights (CASER), Frank Tietie, Esq. CASER warned that thousands of Nigerians are at risk of losing their life savings to a rapidly expanding network of fraudulent land vendors operating across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
In a letter tittled “Urgent Call For Consumer Protection Intervention in the Fraudulent Land and Estate Schemes in Abuja” which was received in the office of the Executive Vice Chairman/ Chief Executive Officer of the commission on March 24, CASER described the situation as a “coordinated pattern of consumer exploitation,” alleging that unregulated agents are flooding both physical markets and social media platforms with deceptive land offers—many of which lack valid titles or any form of approval from the Federal Capital Territory Administration.
According to CASER, these schemes are built on forged documents, false assurances, and aggressive marketing tactics designed to mislead unsuspecting buyers into paying millions of naira for land that, in many cases, does not legally exist.
“Unscrupulous land vendors are exploiting regulatory gaps to defraud Nigerians under the guise of property ownership,” the organisation stated.
Victims Trapped in Legal Limbo
CASER highlighted the devastating aftermath for victims, many of whom are left without legal ownership, entangled in disputes, or dragged into prolonged police investigations and costly court battles—with slim chances of recovering their money.
Hoeever, CASER warned that beyond individual losses, the trend threatens investor confidence in Nigeria’s real estate sector and undermines trust in land administration systems within the FCT.
Six-Point Demand to FCCPC
Invoking the provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018, CASER urged the FCCPC to take decisive regulatory and enforcement action, including:
Enforcing strict rules on land advertising and sales, Mandating full disclosure of land titles and approvals, Creating a transparent land verification system with the FCTA, Introducing licensing for land vendors and estate developers, Launching public awareness campaigns nationwide and Investigating and prosecuting fraudulent operators
The Citizens Advocacy for Social & Economic Rights also called for tighter monitoring of online property advertisements in collaboration with digital platforms to curb the spread of misleading listings.
“A National Consumer Protection Emergency”
CASER stressed that the growing land scam crisis is not just a real estate issue but a broader governance and consumer protection challenge.
“If left unchecked, this trend will continue to erode public trust and expose citizens to devastating financial losses,” the statement warned.
Reaffirming its commitment, CASER said it is prepared to pursue legal and regulatory actions to ensure accountability and protect Nigerians from economic exploitation.
