Opinion
The Greater Abuja Land Heist: The Yesufu Family, Colleen Mero Yesufu, AGIS, and the Hidden Hands of a Billion-Naira Empire
By Dominion Duke
A civil society organisation under the banner of the National Advocacy for Justice and Truth (NAFJAT) has raised a clarion call, accusing estate agency owner Colleen Mero Yesufu of brazenly violating the 1978 Land Use Act through a campaign of alleged land grabbing.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, NAFJAT’s National Coordinator, Barr. Uthman Zango, described the leaked documents that supposedly expose Yesufu’s sprawling land acquisitions as a “stain on justice.” He expressed astonishment at how Yesufu could reportedly manipulate the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) to secure plots under multiple first names—an action that, if true, would strike at the heart of Nigeria’s land laws.
*“In Katampe District,” Zango explained, *“File No. MISC/89XX/AGIS/2020 lists Mero Y. as an allottee — ‘Application Approved, Ministerial Consent Granted.’
Weeks later, in Kabusu, a record shows C. Yesufu under ‘New Regularization – Revalidated.’ Same surname, different first names, the same month of approval. Across Jahi, Apo, Orozo, and Guzape, the same pattern repeats — overlapping allocations, identical handwriting, synchronized endorsements. Each document fits into the next like pieces of a puzzle only insiders could assemble.”
Zango lamented what he believes to be an unholy alliance between Yesufu and government officials, claiming that hardworking Nigerians have been defamed while the “true land grabber” evaded scrutiny. He underscored the need for a comprehensive investigation into the alleged “shady deals” that facilitated the land acquisitions and urged Nigerians to see through what he called a “blackmailing machine driven by envy, jealousy, and baseless hatred.”
Calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to scrutinise the leaked documents, Zango warned that land in the Federal Capital Territory—already scarce and meant to be tightly regulated—must not be commodified by a privileged few. AGIS records allegedly show the Yesufu family obtaining several prime plots within months, while countless applicants wait.
“This kind of abnormality is only possible with complicity from the inside,” Zango asserted. “Someone is feeding them timing, file codes, and clearance windows. That’s not luck — that’s access.”
He pointed to matching “Accepted,” “Scanned,” and “Temporary Revalidation” stamps as evidence of systemic fast-tracking, implying that the Yesufu family were not merely beneficiaries but active participants in a wider conspiracy. He expressed frustration over what he sees as public complacency in the face of such alleged wrongdoing.
When rumours of multiple plots began to circulate, Zango noted, the Yesufu family allegedly sought to deflect attention by accusing others. Documents show that Mrs. Rebecca Godwin-Isaac’s lands were lawfully acquired on the secondary market, yet she was tarnished, while the Yesufu name appeared on initial AGIS approvals. This inversion of guilt, Zango argued, was a calculated diversion.
He accused AGIS of systemic manipulation and highlighted the recurring term “Temporary Revalidation” across the Yesufu files, insisting that “until those files are opened, AGIS will remain a crime scene disguised as a database.” According to Zango, the Yesufu family’s alleged land empire was built not with bulldozers but with stamps, connections, and a bureaucracy reluctant to resist.
Featured
No Need For Separate TIN To Operate Bank Accounts FIRS Official
By Aderonke Atoyebi
In recent debates about Nigeria’s tax reforms, a widespread misconception has emerged: that citizens without a Tax Identification Number are unable to own or operate a bank account. This view, while popular in some quarters, is inaccurate.
The reality is that Nigeria’s tax system has evolved to integrate seamlessly with existing national registries, ensuring that every eligible individual or entity is automatically identifiable for tax purposes.
This article clarifies how the new framework works, drawing from the Federal Inland Revenue Service’s implementation of the National Taxpayer Directory under the Nigeria Tax Administration Act (2025).
The Tax Identification Number is a 13-digit unique identifier for all taxable persons and entities in Nigeria. It encodes details such as issuance year, registry source (NIN for individuals, RC for corporates), state of registration, and a cryptographic fragment for security, concluding with a check digit.
The TIN is not a standalone requirement imposed on citizens. Instead, it is a statutory tool that ensures every taxpayer, whether an individual, a registered business, or an association, can be uniquely verified within the national tax system.
Tax ID and the National Identity Management Commission: For individuals, the TIN is automatically linked to their National Identification Number issued by the National Identity Management Commission.
When an individual provides their NIN, such as during bank account opening or Know Your Customer processes, the system cross-checks the NIN in the national database. As part of this verification, the TIN is automatically retrieved and attached to the person’s records.
This means citizens do not need to manually apply for or present a tax ID before opening a bank account. The system handles the integration in real time.
Tax ID and the Corporate Affairs Commission: For businesses, the TIN is tied directly to the RC Number issued by the Corporate Affairs Commission. Likewise, for cooperatives, partnerships, professional bodies, and other legal entities, the TIN is connected to their respective recognised registries
This linkage ensures that corporate entities can be transparently identified for both tax and compliance purposes. Just as with individuals, banks and regulators do not require extra documentation beyond the foundational registry numbers to confirm tax status.
Exploring the benefits of a tax ID: Seamless Banking Access: Individuals and businesses can open and operate bank accounts using their NIN or RC Number, with the TIN automatically integrated behind the scenes.
Fraud reduction: The system eliminates duplicate or false identities by ensuring every taxpayer is tied to a verifiable registry.
Regulatory compliance: Banks and financial institutions can rely on a single, consent-driven source of truth for onboarding, reporting, and KYC compliance.
Inclusivity: Beyond companies, the framework extends coverage to associations, professional bodies, and trustees
Global compatibility: Nigeria’s tax system can securely interact with international systems for trade, finance, and compliance.
The misconception that Nigerians cannot own or operate a bank account without a tax ID overlooks the integrated design of the new TIN system. By linking TINs to existing foundational identifiers such as the NIN and RC Number, the system ensures automatic compliance without creating unnecessary barriers for citizens.
In practice, this means a Nigerian walking into a bank with their NIN is already tax compliant. The bank simply retrieves its TIN as part of its onboarding process. Far from being a hurdle, the TIN framework is a gateway to financial inclusion, regulatory transparency, and global interoperability in Nigeria’s evolving digital economy.
Aderonke Atoyebi is the technical assistant on broadcast media to the executive chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service
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