Bala Mohammed, the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and current Governor of Bauchi State, has become synonymous with allegations of corruption, land grabbing, and abuse of public trust. His tenure as FCT Minister and now as Governor is marred by a staggering trail of misconduct and outright exploitation of public resources for personal gain.
In February 2016, a petition filed with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by the Original Inhabitants Development Association of Abuja (OIDA) exposed Bala Mohammed’s blatant disregard for due process. The petition accused him of illegally allocating lands designated as green areas within Maitama, Abuja, to his cronies, fronts, and associates, in direct violation of the Abuja master plan. These shocking revelations, corroborated by a Senate investigation, painted a damning picture of a man who weaponized his position to enrich himself and his inner circle while betraying the trust of Abuja residents.
By May 2017, the former Minister found himself in Kuje Maximum Security Prison, facing charges of graft and breach of public trust after an extensive EFCC investigation. His son, Shamsudeen Mohammed, was also implicated, with the EFCC seizing 10 mansions, numerous plots of land, and a twin plaza in Wuse Zone 3—all fraudulently acquired during Bala’s tenure as Minister. Notably, Bala Mohammed was accused of awarding fictitious contracts worth ₦1 billion, allocating 12 choice plots of land to his son, and facilitating a controversial ₦1 trillion Abuja land swap deal.
This history of corruption and land grabbing seems to have followed Bala Mohammed into his governorship. In a troubling déjà vu, Bauchi State residents now accuse him of grabbing lands across the state. These allegations were first publicly raised by Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and a respected statesman from Bauchi, who revealed that residents of the state were silently suffering as the Governor forcefully acquired their lands.
The fallout was swift. A group of Bauchi indigenes issued a daring statement, challenging the Governor to deny the allegations or risk the public exposure of a detailed list of his land grabs. According to them, many victims have been too intimidated to speak out, fearing reprisals from the Governor’s ruthless administration.
Adding weight to the accusations, the Bauchi State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) released a statement detailing how Bala Mohammed, his commissioners, and loyalists had seized hundreds of hectares of land in Toro Local Government Area, specifically in Jama’a/Zaranda Ward. The party also lambasted the Governor for nepotism, accusing him of appointing family members to strategic government positions, further consolidating his grip on power.
Bala Mohammed’s alleged penchant for land grabbing appears not only to be a recurring theme but a deeply entrenched behavior. Despite narrowly escaping conviction by running for Governor and leveraging the immunity offered by the office, he cannot escape the cloud of corruption that hangs over him. His actions are not only a betrayal of the people of Bauchi State but also a blatant continuation of the patterns of abuse that led to his arraignment as FCT Minister.
It is time Bala Mohammed is held accountable. The EFCC has unfinished business with him, and the people of Bauchi deserve justice. The Governor must understand that his habitual exploitation of public resources and disregard for the rights of citizens will not go unchallenged. His fetish for land grabbing and the culture of impunity that defines his governance must end.
Bala Mohammed’s legacy is one of corruption and breach of the public trust. Sooner than he thinks the law will catch up with him.
Nasiru Ya’u is a public commentator and writes from Abuja