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By Correspondent in Abuja.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of multi-billion-naira parcels of land originally approved for the Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Model Housing Estate to the Federal Government.
Justice Mohammed Umar granted the application filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and moved by its counsel, Osuobeni Akponimisingha. The motion was not opposed by defence counsel, Hassan Liman, SAN.
In his ruling, Justice Umar directed the ICPC, on behalf of the Federal Government, to supervise the completion of the proposed 962 housing units on the forfeited land.
The supervision, he said, should be carried out in collaboration with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), the sole respondent in the suit, to ensure that the houses are eventually utilised by end users.
Specifically, the court ordered the final forfeiture of Plot No. 5, Cadastral Zone D12, Kaba District, Abuja, measuring about 122,015.80 square metres and valued at ₦1,944,375,000, as well as Plot No. 4 in the same district, measuring approximately 157,198.30 square metres and valued at ₦3,340,500,000.
Both plots were declared suspected proceeds of unlawful activity.
Justice Umar further ordered the ICPC to facilitate the handover of the forfeited properties to the FMBN, described as the victim of the alleged unlawful activity.
He also directed the ICPC and FMBN to constitute a joint committee, drawn from both agencies, to oversee the completion of the housing project.
The ruling was delivered on December 11, although the enrolled order was sighted by our correspondent on Tuesday.
The court had earlier, on July 9, granted an interim forfeiture of the lands following an ex parte application by the ICPC.
The interim order allowed the commission to temporarily take over the properties pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
The ex parte motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1124/2025, listed the FMBN as the sole respondent. The ICPC told the court that the lands were suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity and sought an order to secure them from being sold or converted to personal use.
The commission also requested permission to publish notices in national newspapers inviting interested persons to show cause why the assets should not be permanently forfeited.
In an affidavit deposed to by an ICPC officer, Iliya Marcus, the commission said it received intelligence indicating that the FMBN had engaged a private developer, Good Earth Power Nigeria Limited, to construct 962 housing units under the National Housing Fund Scheme.
According to Marcus, investigations revealed that the FMBN obtained approval on July 30, 2012, to commence construction of the Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Model Housing Estate and subsequently entered into a framework agreement with Good Earth Power Nigeria Limited on January 27, 2012. A consultant was also appointed on February 1, 2012, to monitor the project and certify milestones for payment.
Further investigations showed that the FMBN secured a $65 million loan facility from Ecobank Limited for the project, intended to benefit low-income earners, with a projected completion period of 18 months.
However, Marcus disclosed that the bank paid a total of ₦3.785 billion as drawdown to the developer on November 22, 2012, without evidence that the company was registered with the Real Estate Developers Association, a precondition for such payment.
He added that the full project sum of $65 million was eventually paid to the developer despite the fact that no single housing unit was constructed.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
