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 gave the order while ruling on a motion filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The application was argued by ICPC counsel, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, and 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. He ordered that the exercise 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 court 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 properties were declared suspected proceeds of unlawful activity.
Justice Umar further directed the ICPC to facilitate the handover of the forfeited properties to the FMBN, identified by the court as the victim of the alleged unlawful activity. He also ordered the ICPC and FMBN to set up a joint committee to oversee 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 documents before the court, the lands were allocated 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 filed by an ICPC officer revealed that the FMBN engaged a private developer, Good Earth Power Nigeria Limited, to execute the project, which was approved on July 30, 2012 and named the “Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Model Housing Estate.”
The affidavit stated that the FMBN entered into a framework agreement with the developer and secured a $65 million loan facility from Ecobank for the project, which was intended for low-income earners and scheduled for completion within 18 months.
However, investigations allegedly showed that the full project sum, including a N3.78 billion drawdown in November 2012, was paid to the developer without evidence of work on site or compliance with regulatory requirements. The ICPC further alleged that no housing unit was constructed despite the full disbursement of funds.
The commission also informed the court that the developer was allegedly attempting to sell the land to members of the public, a move it said could undermine recovery efforts and public interest.
Justice Umar stressed the need to protect public assets and ensure that the housing project ultimately serves its intended purpose.
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