The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the permanent forfeiture of two prime plots of land valued at over ₦5.2 billion originally approved for the Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Model Housing Estate to the Federal Government.
Justice Mohammed Umar granted the order following a motion filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The application was not opposed by the respondent, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN).
The forfeited properties—Plot 4 and Plot 5 in Cadastral Zone D12, Kaba District, Abuja—cover a combined area of over 279,000 square metres and were suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity.
In his ruling delivered on December 11, Justice Umar directed the ICPC to supervise the completion of the proposed 962 housing units, in collaboration with FMBN, and ensure the houses are eventually allocated to end users.
The court further ordered both agencies to constitute a joint implementation committee to oversee the completion and utilisation of the housing project, originally designed to benefit low-income Nigerians under the National Housing Fund Scheme.
According to evidence presented by the ICPC, FMBN secured a $65 million loan facility from Ecobank and paid the entire project sum to Good Earth Power Nigeria Limited, the private developer, without any house being constructed on the site.
Investigations revealed that the developer allegedly received ₦3.785 billion as an initial drawdown in 2012, despite failing to meet mandatory conditions, including registration with the Real Estate Developers Association. The full $65 million was reportedly disbursed without commensurate progress.
The ICPC said intelligence reports indicated that the developers had attempted to secretly sell off the land, while some promoters—including foreign nationals—had allegedly fled the country.
Justice Umar earlier granted an interim forfeiture order on July 9, pending the determination of the substantive suit, to prevent the assets from being dissipated.
The court described the upfront payment of the entire project sum without evidence of construction as deeply questionable and ruled that forfeiture was necessary to protect public interest and recover value for Nigerians.
