The Surveyor General of the Federation, Surveyor Abudulganiyu Adebomehin, has vehemently dismissed allegations that he sold government lands worth over N16 billion. He threatened legal action to protect his family’s reputation from what he described as baseless accusations.

The allegations, which claim that Adebomehin was involved in the sale, abandonment, or reallocation of government lands in various states including Ilorin, Kwara; Imo; Kano; Ibadan, Oyo; Lagos; Benue; Gombe; Enugu; and Anambra, have been circulating since 2022. However, Adebomehin categorically stated that his office does not have the authority or capacity to sell government lands.

In a press interaction in his Abuja office, Adebomehin explained that all his official trips were duly approved, and the accusations against him were being pushed by an individual who was reportedly seeking to take over his position. He further pointed out that under his leadership, the office had achieved a record promotion of 30 candidates at once, a first in its history.

The Surveyor General also expressed frustration over the persistent nature of the accusations, which he said were becoming increasingly messy. He implied that the criticisms were politically motivated by someone with ambitions to take his seat.

Adebomehin vehemently defended his reputation, especially the integrity of his family. “My name can be maligned, but nobody should insult my family. That is one thing we will not tolerate,” he stated. He emphasized that while his name may be attacked, his family name was precious to him and would be defended when necessary.
In response to the threats on his life and career, Adebomehin said he had written to the Head of Service and also petitioned the Inspector General of Police, who assured him of an investigation into the matter. Despite these efforts, he claimed that the allegations continued without any solid evidence to back them up.

He challenged his accusers to produce evidence, questioning, “Where is the receipt for the sale of government property? Where is the buyer of these lands?” He also noted that the accusations had persisted for over two years without any concrete proof.

Adebomehin further explained that the office of the Surveyor General of the Federation has often been targeted by land encroachers who, after occupying government land, pay fines that are disproportionately low compared to the value of the land due to the influence of powerful individuals. He provided the example of a piece of land in Ilorin, where multiple people were occupying portions of government property, yet no action had been taken to investigate or remove them.

He concluded by stating that the claims of land sales were unfounded, urging a thorough investigation into how these individuals acquired the lands and emphasizing that his office was not involved in the sale of government lands.