Findings Exonerate TAGIS DG Of Alleged Fraud

Findings from an investigation have dismissed as false and misleading allegations linking the Director General of the Taraba Geographic Information Service (TAGIS), Surveyor Joshua Mark Ma’aku, to an alleged N4.2 billion fraud.

Checks by LEADERSHIP reveal that the fund in question was duly appropriated and released in 2024 for the development of the Taraba State Development Master Plan, a long-term strategic framework designed to guide the state’s growth for over a five to 10-year period.

The contract was awarded to an Abuja-based Brudnell Consulting Limited, with Engr. Alex Oniegbu, as a consultant, at a time when TAGIS was not yet a fully established agency but operated as a programme under the Bureau for Lands and Surveys, supported by the World Bank, to drive digital land administration.

The master plan, according to documents reviewed by LEADERSHIP, encompasses regional development and detailed urban planning for all 16 local government areas of the state, with a focus on strengthening infrastructure, improving spatial planning, and attracting investment.

An interim report on the project was presented in November 2024, outlining a development blueprint to boost investor confidence and ensure sustainable growth.

Further findings show that Surveyor Ma’aku was appointed Director General of TAGIS in October 2024, months after the contract had already been awarded.

His appointment followed the enactment of legislation granting TAGIS full legal status as a revenue-generating agency.

The TAGIS itself was initially established in 2022 by former Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku as a digital land management parastatal under the Office of the Governor.

It was later restructured and strengthened through a legal framework enacted after a public hearing at the Taraba State House of Assembly on 13 June 2024, and formally published on 26 August 2024.

The institutional transition continued under Governor Agbu Kefas, who, through Executive Order No. 1 signed on 3 May 2025, merged the Bureau for Lands and Surveys into TAGIS.

The bureau subsequently became a department within TAGIS, with its director redesignated as Technical Adviser to oversee land administration processes, including registration, cadastre and valuation using digital systems.

Sources familiar with the matter said the contract tied to the alleged N4.2 billion predates both Ma’aku’s appointment and the current operational structure of TAGIS, which makes it impossible for the DG to have played any role in the award or execution of the project.

The sources also debunked claims circulating on social media that the TAGIS boss is under investigation or evading arrest, calling them baseless and defamatory.

They warned that the spread of unverified allegations undermines public trust and damages reputations, and urged the public to rely on credible and official sources when disseminating sensitive information.

The investigation further established that, following the May 2025 merger, all contracts, records and responsibilities of the defunct Bureau for Lands and Surveys were legally transferred to TAGIS for administrative continuity.

It was also clarified that the Director General does not personally hold contract files but is responsible for ensuring due process, transparency and compliance in the management of inherited and ongoing projects.

The sources maintained that TAGIS remains committed to transparency and due process, and is considering legal action against individuals or platforms responsible for defamatory publications against the Director General.