The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has officially handed over 753 duplexes in Abuja, previously forfeited to the federal government, to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development for public use.
The handover ceremony, which took place on Tuesday, saw the EFCC Chairman, Olanipekun Olukoyede, transfer the uncompleted estate to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa.
The expansive property is located in the Lokogoma district of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
According to the minister, the estate—linked to former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele—is to be completed and allocated to Nigerians in need of housing through a transparent and accountable process, as directed by President Bola Tinubu.
“As a next step, we will conduct a comprehensive integrity and structural assessment of all buildings and associated infrastructure to ensure safety and suitability for habitation,” Dangiwa stated.
He further assured that the ministry would complete all outstanding infrastructure, including roads, drainage, and essential amenities, while implementing a standardized housing design to ensure architectural consistency across the estate.
The housing units, he added, will be sold through a competitive process managed via the Renewed Hope Portal, in line with the government’s drive to bridge the housing deficit.
A Landmark Recovery
The EFCC secured the final forfeiture of the estate in December 2024 following a ruling by Justice Jude Onwegbuzie of the FCT High Court. The anti-graft agency had described the property as the single largest asset recovery since its establishment in 2003.
Though the EFCC initially withheld the identity of the owner, court records later revealed the estate was linked to Emefiele, who challenged the forfeiture earlier this year.
He claimed he was not aware of the legal proceedings and alleged that the EFCC published the interim notice in an obscure section of a national newspaper.
Justice Onwegbuzie dismissed Emefiele’s application to reclaim the estate, ruling that the EFCC had fulfilled all legal requirements, and that the publication was sufficiently public.