The Federal High Court in Abuja has permanently forfeited two plots of land valued at over N5.28 billion, initially designated for the Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Model Housing Estate, to the Federal Government following revelations that $65 million in project funds was disbursed without a single house being constructed.
Justice Mohammed Umar delivered the ruling on 11th December, directing the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to supervise the completion of the abandoned 962-unit housing project in collaboration with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria. The enrolled order was sighted by the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday, marking the conclusion of a case that exposed significant irregularities in the National Housing Fund Scheme.
According to court documents, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria obtained a $65 million loan facility from Ecobank Limited in 2012 to construct affordable housing for low-income earners through Good Earth Power Nigeria Limited, a private developer. The project, approved on 30th July 2012, was meant to be completed within 18 months. However, investigations revealed that the entire project sum was paid to the developer without corresponding construction progress.
In an affidavit deposed by ICPC officer Iliya Marcus, the commission stated that N3.785 billion was paid as an initial drawdown on 22nd November 2012, despite the developer lacking registration with the Real Estate Developers Association, a precondition for such payments. “Investigation also revealed that the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria has paid the full project amount of $65 million to Good Earth Power Nigeria Limited without a single house on the project site,” Marcus stated in the court filing.
The forfeited properties comprise Plot No. 5 in Cadastral Zone D12, Kaba District, Abuja, measuring approximately 122,015.80 square metres and valued at N1.944 billion, and Plot No. 4 in the same zone, measuring approximately 157,198.30 square metres and valued at N3.340 billion. According to ICPC counsel Osuobeni Akponimisingha, the properties are now worth over N200 billion, though this valuation was not independently verified in court documents.
Justice Umar’s ruling questioned the decision to disburse the entire project sum upfront without corresponding progress, a practice that contradicts standard project management protocols. The judge directed the ICPC to facilitate the handover of the forfeited properties to the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, described as “the victim of the alleged unlawful activity,” and ordered both agencies to establish a joint implementation committee to ensure project completion.
The case also revealed that Good Earth Power Nigeria Limited, the contracted developer, was allegedly making attempts to sell the plots to unsuspecting members of the public. The ICPC argued that such sales would make recovery of the lands extremely difficult, prompting their application for interim forfeiture, which Justice Umar granted on 9th July. The defence lawyer, Hassan Liman, SAN, did not oppose the final forfeiture motion.
According to Marcus’s affidavit, the promoters of Good Earth Power Nigeria Limited, including some American nationals, had allegedly fled and remained unreachable. The company is currently facing trial before Justice James Omotosho of a sister Federal High Court, though the forfeiture proceedings were handled as a separate matter focused on asset recovery.
Read Also: Rivers: INEC Fixes February 21 For By-elections
The Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria was established by the Federal Government to provide affordable housing support for Nigerians through the National Housing Fund Scheme. The scheme aims to mobilise funds for housing development and make homeownership accessible to low and middle-income earners. This case highlights vulnerabilities in the scheme’s implementation and oversight mechanisms during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, after whom the estate was to be named.
The ICPC’s motion for final forfeiture was filed under case number FHC/ABJ/CS/1124/2025, with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria listed as the sole respondent. The commission sought the forfeiture on grounds that the assets were suspected proceeds of unlawful activity, given the circumstances surrounding the project’s failure despite full payment.
Justice Umar’s order specifically directs the joint ICPC-FMBN committee to ensure the completion of all 962 housing units as originally proposed and to guarantee their utilisation by end users, aligning with the project’s original objective of providing affordable housing. The ruling represents a significant asset recovery effort by the anti-corruption commission and offers hope that the abandoned project may finally benefit its intended beneficiaries.
