Court Orders Forfeiture Of Lands Linked To Goodluck Jonathan Estate
The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of two large parcels of land originally allocated for the Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Model Housing Estate.
Justice Mohammed Umar made the ruling following a motion filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), represented by Osuobeni Akponimisingha, with no objection from the defence counsel, Hassan Liman (SAN).
The judge directed the ICPC, on behalf of the Federal Government, to oversee the completion of 962 housing units on the forfeited lands.
The exercise is to be carried out in collaboration with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), the sole respondent in the suit, to ensure the units reach the intended beneficiaries.
The forfeited properties include Plot No. 5, Cadastral Zone D12, Kaba District, Abuja, measuring approximately 122,015.80 square metres and valued at N1.94bn, and Plot No. 4 in the same zone, measuring 157,198.30 square metres and valued at N3.34bn.
The court declared the lands suspected proceeds of unlawful activity.
Justice Umar also directed the ICPC to hand over the properties to the FMBN, identified as the victim of the alleged irregularities, and instructed both parties to form a joint committee to supervise the housing project.
The court had previously granted an interim forfeiture on July 9, 2025, following an ex parte application by the ICPC, pending the hearing of the substantive suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/1124/2025).
According to the ICPC, the lands were allocated by the Federal Capital Territory Administration for the construction of 962 housing units under the National Housing Fund Scheme through FMBN.
Investigations revealed that FMBN engaged Good Earth Power Nigeria Limited to execute the project, securing a $65m loan from Ecobank.
The commission alleged that the full project fund, including a N3.78bn drawdown in November 2012, was paid without evidence of any construction or regulatory compliance.
ICPC warned that the developer had attempted to sell the land to unsuspecting members of the public, which could undermine recovery efforts.
Justice Umar, in granting the earlier interim forfeiture, questioned why the entire project fund was paid upfront without any work on the site, stressing the need to protect public assets and ensure the housing units benefit low-income earners.
Sodiq Yusuf is a trained media practitioner and journalist with considerable years of experience in print, broadcast, and digital journalism. His interests cover a wide range of causes in politics, governance, sports, community development, and good governance.
