A leaked document from the Lands Commission has revealed that Nana Attobrah Quaicoe, the Director-General of the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), acquired prime state land in the Cantonments area for just over GH¢160,000.
The document, which included details of the NIB boss, including his picture, shows that the land he acquired is designated as Plot No. 8 and spans an area of approximately 0.24 acres.
The land is located within the Giffard Road Layout Extension Area at Cantonments, Accra, under the jurisdiction of the La Dade Kotopon Municipal Assembly in the Greater Accra Region.
The document names the President of the Republic as the lessor and Nana Attobrah Quaicoe as the lessee.
“In consideration of the sum of One Hundred and Sixty Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fifteen Cedis (GH¢160,715.00) paid by the Lessee to the Lessor as premium (the receipt of which payment the Lessor hereby acknowledges) and in further consideration of the payment of the annual ground rent herein stated and the observance and performance of the covenants, stipulations, and conditions herein contained, the Lessor hereby leases to the Lessee all that piece or parcel of land known as Plot No. 8 measuring an approximate area of 0.24 acres situated within the Giffard Road Layout Extension Area-Accra at Cantonments-Accra in the La Dade Kotopon Municipal Assembly in the Greater Accra Region of the Republic of Ghana, TO HAVE and TO HOLD same unto and to the use of the Lessee for a term of Ninety-Nine (99) years with effect from the 1st day of January, 2021, yielding and paying therefore unto the Lessor an annual ground rent of Six Thousand, Seven Hundred and Twenty Cedis (GH¢6,720.00) payable yearly in advance on or before the 1st day of January in every year, the payment for the period from the 1st day of January, 2021, to the 31st day of December, 2021, having been made on or before the execution of this lease. This said amount shall be subject to revision by the Lessor every fifth (5th) year of the term hereby granted,” part of the document reads, which was listed by one Alex Quaynor.
It is worth noting that land in prime areas of Accra, including the Cantonments area, is generally priced in the millions of Ghana cedis or US dollars.
This development comes after the NIB boss threatened to take legal action against renowned legal practitioner Martin Kpebu, following claims that Kpebu had voluntarily opted to return state land he acquired around Cantonments to the state.
During an interview on TV3 on Saturday, January 11, 2024, Kpebu revealed that Attobrah Quaicoe decided to return the land to the state after concerns were raised by the head of the ORAL preparatory committee, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
Kpebu explained that this decision by the NIB boss prevented him from being investigated or potentially prosecuted by the ORAL committee.
“Our role is preparatory, so we are not directly involved in the actual recovery of assets; that will be addressed in the next phase. However, there are individuals who have expressed willingness to return assets,” Kpebu stated.
“The head of the National Intelligence Bureau, formerly the BNI, reached out to Okudzeto due to the advocacy surrounding the land issue and stated that he would return the land and withdraw his claim. He requested to be excluded from further involvement,” he added.
Kpebu further mentioned, “Yesterday, we visited the site where the land is located. The NIB boss, Attobrah, confirmed his decision to relinquish the land. I am somewhat acquainted with Attobrah on a personal level.”
However, Attobrah Quaicoe, through his lawyers, denied that he had willingly returned the state land.
He stated that Kpebu’s claim, made on TV3, was false and defamatory.
The lawyers, led by Saviour Quarcoo Kudze, called for a retraction and an apology from Kpebu, threatening legal action should he fail to retract his “utterly false and defamatory statements.”
“We urge the public to disregard these false statements that are calculated to injure our client’s reputation,” part of the statement read.
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