The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of two large parcels of land designated for the Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Model Housing Estate.
Justice Mohammed Umar issued the order while ruling on a motion on notice filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), argued by its counsel, Osuobeni Akponimisingha.
The order was made without opposition, as defence counsel, Hassan Liman (SAN), raised no objection.
In his ruling, Justice Umar directed the ICPC, acting on behalf of the Federal Government, to supervise the completion of the proposed 962 housing units on the forfeited land.
He ordered that the process be carried out in collaboration with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), the sole respondent in the suit, to ensure the houses are eventually allocated to their intended beneficiaries.
The judge ordered the final 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 further directed the ICPC to facilitate the handover of the forfeited properties to the FMBN, which he identified as the victim of the alleged unlawful conduct.
He also ordered the ICPC and the FMBN to set up a joint committee to oversee the completion and implementation of the housing project.
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The court recalled that on July 9, it had granted an interim forfeiture of the lands following an ex parte application by the ICPC, pending the determination of the substantive suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1124/2025.
Court documents showed that the lands were allocated free of charge by the Federal Capital Territory Administration for the construction of 962 residential housing units under the National Housing Fund Scheme through the FMBN.
An affidavit sworn to by an ICPC officer, Iliya Marcus, disclosed that the commission acted on intelligence reports indicating that the FMBN engaged a private developer, Good Earth Power Nigeria Limited, to execute the project.
The project, approved on July 30, 2012, was named the Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Model Housing Estate.
According to the affidavit, the FMBN entered into a framework agreement with the developer and secured a $65 million loan facility from Ecobank for the project, which was aimed at providing affordable housing for low-income earners and scheduled for completion within 18 months.
Investigations, however, revealed that the FMBN allegedly paid the entire $65 million to the developer, including a N3.78 billion drawdown in November 2012, without evidence of work on site or compliance with regulatory requirements.
The ICPC further alleged that no housing unit was constructed despite the full release of project funds.
The commission told the court that the developer was allegedly attempting to dispose of the land to unsuspecting members of the public, a move it said could undermine recovery efforts.
While granting the earlier interim forfeiture, Justice Umar questioned the decision to release the full project sum upfront without corresponding work, stressing the need to safeguard public assets and ensure the project ultimately serves its intended purpose.
