The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has ordered the permanent forfeiture of a multibillion-naira expanse of land approved for the Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Model Housing Estate to the federal government.
Justice Mohammed Umar granted the motion on notice moved by Osuobeni Akponimisingha, counsel for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, which was not opposed by the defence lawyer, Hassan Liman.
Mr Umar directed the ICPC, on behalf of the federal government, to supervise the construction of the lands to the completion of the 962 housing units as earlier proposed.
The judge held that supervision should be carried out in collaboration with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, the sole respondent in the case, and should ensure the utilisation of the housing units by end users.
Mr Umar said, “An order is hereby made for the final forfeiture of Plot No. 5 in Cadastral Zone D12, Kaba District, Abuja, measuring approximately 122015.80 m² and valued at N1,944,375,000.
“An order is hereby made for the final forfeiture of Plot No. 4 in Cadastral Zone D12, Kaba District, Abuja, measuring approximately 157198.30 m² and valued at N3,340,500,000, suspected of being proceeds of unlawful activity.
“An order is hereby made directing the applicant, through the ICPC, to facilitate the handover of the forfeited properties to the respondent, i.e., the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, being the victim of the alleged unlawful activity.”
Mr Umar, in the ruling delivered on December 11, further directed the ICPC and FMBN to set up a committee whose membership is to be drawn from both agencies to complete the project.
Mr Umar had, on July 9, granted the anti-corruption commission’s prayer to temporarily take over the lands, after Mr Akponimisingha moved a motion ex parte to that effect.
Mr Umar held that the interim forfeiture of the multibillion-naira assets approved by the FMBN would be pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit. The ICPC had, in the motion ex parte marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1124/2025, listed FMBN as the sole respondent.
The lands were suspected of being proceeds of an unlawful activity.
(NAN)
