The Federal Housing Authority has strongly rejected allegations accusing its leadership of land grabbing, extortion, and abuse of office, describing the claims as false and misleading.
The Authority said the accusations targeting its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Oyetunde Ojo, were being circulated without factual basis and amounted to a misrepresentation of ongoing reforms within the organisation.
In a statement released on Sunday, the Head of Public Affairs, Kenneth Chigelu, also faulted some media organisations, including Daily Nigerian, Leadership, and ThisDay, for publishing the claims without seeking the Authority’s response.
The agency maintained that the individuals behind the allegations were not genuine estate developers but actors resisting reforms introduced to sanitise land administration processes.
According to the FHA, recent restructuring measures have disrupted entrenched practices within the system, prompting pushback from those who previously benefited from procedural loopholes.
The Authority explained that the introduction of a digital land administration system on 1 May 2024 marked a major shift from manual operations, which it said had previously enabled issues such as missing records, duplicate allocations, and document manipulation.
It further stated that the deployment of a MAX 350 drone for mapping and monitoring had strengthened oversight of land use and helped detect unlawful encroachments on government property.
As part of its reforms, the FHA also conducted a nationwide Verification, Regularisation, and Ratification exercise to allow genuine allottees with incomplete documentation to properly update their property records.
The agency insisted that individuals unable to prove legitimate ownership were behind what it described as coordinated media attacks after losing access to irregular practices under the old system.
Responding to claims of delayed approvals, the FHA said its One Stop Shop system now ensures that development approvals are processed within two weeks, provided applicants meet all documentation requirements.
It also disclosed that it had tightened controls around statutory fee assessments to prevent revenue underreporting and curb alleged collusion between some applicants and compromised officials.
Reaffirming its position, the Authority said it would not be distracted by what it called attempts at intimidation from disgruntled interests, insisting that its reform agenda would continue without interruption.
The FHA further challenged those making the allegations to publicly identify themselves and present valid documentation of ownership and verification.
It urged the public to disregard the claims, maintaining that ongoing reforms were aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability, and protection of government assets.