A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of two large parcels of land linked to the proposed Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Model Housing Estate.
Justice Mohammed Umar made the ruling after considering an application filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The application, moved by ICPC counsel Osuobeni Akponimisingha, was not opposed by the defence lawyer, Hassan Liman (SAN).
In his judgment, Justice Umar directed the ICPC, acting on behalf of the Federal Government, to oversee the completion of the proposed 962 housing units on the seized land. He said the process should be carried out in partnership with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) to ensure the houses are eventually allocated to their intended beneficiaries.
The court ordered the forfeiture of Plot No. 5, Cadastral Zone D12, Kaba District, Abuja, measuring about 122,016 square metres and valued at ₦1.94 billion, as well as Plot No. 4 in the same zone, covering roughly 157,198 square metres and valued at ₦3.34 billion.
Justice Umar ruled that the properties were suspected proceeds of unlawful activity.
He further instructed the ICPC to formally hand over the seized land to the FMBN, which the court identified as the victim of the alleged misconduct. The judge also ordered both agencies to set up a joint committee to supervise the completion and implementation of the housing project.
The court recalled that it had earlier granted an interim forfeiture of the properties on July 9, following an ex parte application by the ICPC, pending the determination of the substantive suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1124/2025.
According to documents presented in court, the land was originally allocated free of charge by the Federal Capital Territory Administration for the construction of 962 housing units under the National Housing Fund Scheme, to be implemented through the FMBN.
An affidavit sworn to by an ICPC officer, Iliya Marcus, revealed that intelligence reports showed the FMBN had engaged a private developer, Good Earth Power Nigeria Limited, to handle the project.
The housing estate, approved on July 30, 2012, was named the Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Model Housing Estate. The project was designed to benefit low-income earners and was expected to be completed within 18 months.
The ICPC told the court that the FMBN entered into a framework agreement with the developer and secured a $65 million loan facility from Ecobank to fund the project. However, investigations allegedly showed that the full project sum, including a ₦3.78 billion drawdown made in November 2012, was paid to the developer without evidence of work done on site or compliance with regulatory requirements.
According to the commission, no housing unit was constructed despite the full release of funds.
The ICPC also alleged that the developer had begun making moves to sell the land to unsuspecting members of the public, a situation it warned could undermine efforts to recover the assets.
In granting the forfeiture, Justice Umar questioned why the entire project cost was paid upfront without any corresponding construction work, stressing the need to safeguard public assets and ensure the housing scheme ultimately serves its original purpose.
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