The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the permanent forfeiture of two prime plots of land earmarked for the proposed Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Model Housing Estate to the Federal Government, following findings of alleged massive financial impropriety in the abandoned housing project.
Justice Mohammed Umar granted the order after upholding an application filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, directing that the forfeited properties be handed over to the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria for the benefit of Nigerians.
The court also mandated the ICPC to supervise the completion of the stalled housing estate, in collaboration with the FMBN, to ensure the delivery of the originally planned 962 housing units to end users.
The forfeited properties include Plot No. 5 in Cadastral Zone D12, Kaba District, Abuja, measuring about 122,015.80 square metres and valued at N1.94bn, as well as Plot No. 4 in the same district, measuring approximately 157,198.30 square metres and valued at N3.34bn.
Justice Umar held that the lands were suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity and ruled that 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 ruled.
The enrolled order of the judgment, delivered on December 11, was sighted on Tuesday by the News Agency of Nigeria.
The judge further ordered the ICPC and FMBN to jointly set up an implementation committee to ensure the completion of the abandoned housing project and its eventual allocation to Nigerians, particularly low-income earners.
The ICPC told the court that the housing estate was approved in 2012 during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan under the National Housing Fund Scheme and was intended to provide 962 affordable housing units.
According to an affidavit sworn to by an ICPC investigator, Iliya Marcus, the FMBN engaged a private developer, Good Earth Power Nigeria Limited, to execute the project and subsequently obtained a $65m loan facility from Ecobank for its construction.
The commission revealed that the bank paid a total sum of N3.78bn as initial drawdown to the developer in November 2012 and later paid the full project cost of $65m—equivalent to over N14bn at the time—without any house being constructed on the site.
Investigations further showed that the developer allegedly lacked proper registration with the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria, a prerequisite for receiving such funds, and that the entire project collapsed without any tangible work done.
The ICPC said intelligence reports indicated that the developers were making moves to secretly sell the land to unsuspecting members of the public, prompting the commission to approach the court to secure the assets.
Justice Umar had earlier, on July 9, granted an interim forfeiture of the lands following an ex parte application by the ICPC, pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The commission was also ordered at the time 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, which was to be named in honour of former President Jonathan, had remained abandoned despite full payment to the developer.
He added that the current value of the land had risen to over N200bn, while promoters of the developer company, including some foreign nationals, had allegedly fled the country.
The defence counsel, Hassan Liman (SAN), did not oppose the forfeiture application.
Justice Umar, in granting the final order, questioned why the entire project sum was released without commensurate progress, describing the situation as a grave abuse of public trust.
The forfeiture, the court ruled, was necessary to prevent further loss of public assets and to salvage the housing project for Nigerians
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