The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the permanent forfeiture of two prime plots of land originally allocated for the proposed Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Model Housing Estate to the Federal Government, citing findings of alleged financial mismanagement in the abandoned project
Justice Mohammed Umar delivered the ruling after upholding an application by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), directing that the properties be handed over to the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) for the benefit of Nigerians.
The court also instructed the ICPC to oversee the completion of the stalled housing estate in collaboration with the FMBN, ensuring the delivery of the 962 housing units originally planned.
The forfeited properties include Plot No. 5 in Cadastral Zone D12, Kaba District, Abuja, measuring about 122,015.80 square metres and valued at N1.94 billion, and Plot No. 4 in the same district, measuring approximately 157,198.30 square metres and valued at N3.34 billion.
Justice Umar noted that the lands were suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity and ruled they must be recovered in the public interest. “The ICPC shall facilitate the handover of the forfeited properties to the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, being the victim of the alleged unlawful activity,” the judge said.
The enrolled order of judgment, delivered on December 11, was obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday. The judge also directed the ICPC and FMBN to set up a joint implementation committee to ensure the housing project is completed and allocated to Nigerians, particularly low-income earners.
According to the ICPC, the estate was approved in 2012 under the National Housing Fund Scheme during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, intended to provide 962 affordable housing units. An affidavit by ICPC investigator Iliya Marcus stated that FMBN engaged Good Earth Power Nigeria Limited to execute the project and secured a $65 million loan facility from Ecobank for its construction.
The commission revealed that the bank paid an initial N3.78 billion to the developer in November 2012 and later released the full project cost of $65 million (over N14 billion at the time) without any houses being built. Investigations indicated that the developer lacked proper registration with the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria, a requirement for accessing such funds, and the project collapsed without any tangible work.
The ICPC said intelligence reports suggested the developers were attempting to sell the land secretly to unsuspecting buyers, prompting the commission to seek court intervention to secure the properties.
Justice Umar had earlier granted interim forfeiture of the lands on July 9 following an ex parte application by the ICPC, pending the substantive suit. The commission was also instructed to publish notices in national newspapers inviting interested parties to show cause why the properties should not be permanently forfeited.
At the final hearing, ICPC counsel Osuobeni Akponimisingha told the court that the project, intended to honor former President Jonathan, remained abandoned despite full payment to the developer. He added that the current value of the land had risen to over N200 billion, while promoters of the developer company, including some foreign nationals, had reportedly fled the country.
The defence counsel, Hassan Liman (SAN), did not oppose the forfeiture. Justice Umar, in granting the final order, questioned why the full project funds were released without corresponding progress, describing it as a serious abuse of public trust. He ruled that the forfeiture was necessary to prevent further loss of public assets and to salvage the housing project for Nigerians.
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Issokay
They all stole from Nigeria