The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of two large parcels of land originally designated for the Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Model Housing Estate.
Justice Mohammed Umar gave the ruling while deciding a motion 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, as senior advocate Hassan Liman raised no objection.
In his decision, Justice Umar directed the ICPC, acting on behalf of the Federal Government, to oversee the completion of the proposed 962 housing units on the forfeited land. He ordered that the process 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 judge ordered the forfeiture of Plot No. 5, Cadastral Zone D12, Kaba District, Abuja, measuring about 122,015.80 square metres and valued at N1.94 billion, as well as Plot No. 4 in the same zone, measuring approximately 157,198.30 square metres and valued at N3.34 billion. The court held that the properties were suspected proceeds of unlawful activity.
Justice Umar also directed the ICPC to hand over the forfeited properties to the FMBN, which he identified as the victim in the alleged transaction. He further ordered both institutions 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 lands on July 9, following an ex parte application by the ICPC, pending the determination of the substantive suit.
According to court documents, the land was allocated by the Federal Capital Territory Administration for the construction of 962 housing units under the National Housing Fund Scheme through the FMBN. An affidavit sworn to by an ICPC officer revealed that the FMBN had engaged a private developer, Good Earth Power Nigeria Limited, to execute the project.
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The project, approved in July 2012, was to be completed within 18 months and funded through a $65 million loan facility from Ecobank, aimed at providing affordable housing for low-income earners. However, investigations showed that the full project sum was allegedly paid to the developer without any meaningful work carried out on site.
The ICPC told the court that despite full disbursement of funds, not a single housing unit was built. It also alleged that the developer was attempting to sell the land to unsuspecting members of the public, a move the commission said could hinder recovery efforts.
Justice Umar, while granting the forfeiture, stressed the need to safeguard public assets and ensure the housing project ultimately serves the people it was meant to benefit.
