Businessman Loses Filling Station & Shopping Complex After He Failed to Explain Where He Got Money to Buy the Properties (PHOTOS)

Abuja-based businessman, Abdullahi Rilwan
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has seized a filling station and a shopping complex from a man (Abdullahi Rilwan) who described himself as a building engineer simply because he was unable to explain the source of his wealth and how he got the money to gather expensive properties.

The EFCC, on October 31, 2016 arrested the self-acclaimed building engineer for offences bordering on operating a land racketeering syndicate, criminal conspiracy, unlawful possession of classified documents, obtaining by false pretense and money laundering.

Operatives of the EFCC had as part of investigation into the $2.1billion arms procurement fraud, visited the Kuje Area Council, Abuja. The visit was in connection with several properties in the area, suspected to be proceeds of money laundering.

In the course of investigating the ownership of a filling station and a shopping complex both still under construction located along Pegi Road, in the Kuje Area Council, operatives gathered that Rilwan was in charge of the construction work.

Rilwan, who was subsequently engaged, denied ownership of the station, but confirmed he was the engineer in charge of the construction work. He admitted to being the owner of the shopping complex. He also told operatives that he was the owner of two companies, Kaibo Oil and Gas and Kaibo Properties, but could not account for the source of wealth.

A visit to his office, however, revealed that he was involved in several shady and suspicious business transaction deals.

The revelation made EFCC operatives to beam their searchlight on Rilwan’s business activities. Subsequently, on October 31, a search and arrest warrant was executed at his Kuje residence.

The search unearthed several implicating documents in his custody, many of which he used to sell plots of land. Properties recovered from his residence in Kuje, include letter-head papers in the name of Kuje Area Council allocating plots of land, an “Irrevocable Power of Attorney” in favour of Air Commodore Bassy Inyang, a “Right of Occupancy” document granted to Henryville Farms, Abuja, among other implicating documents."

The filling station and the complex are currently under investigation, and he would be charged to court as soon as the investigations are concluded.