The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the permanent forfeiture of vast parcels of land originally allocated for the Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Model Housing Estate to the Federal Government.
Justice Mohammed Umar granted the order following an application filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), marking a major step in recovering public assets linked to an abandoned housing project.
The court directed the ICPC to supervise the completion of the stalled estate in collaboration with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), ensuring the delivery of the proposed 962 housing units to end users.
According to the ruling, the forfeited properties include Plot No. 5 and Plot No. 4 in Cadastral Zone D12, Kaba District, Abuja, jointly valued at over ₦5.2 billion. The judge held that the plots were suspected proceeds of unlawful activity and must be returned for public benefit.
Justice Umar also ordered the immediate handover of the lands to FMBN and mandated both agencies to constitute a joint committee to oversee the completion and allocation of the housing units.
The ICPC had earlier secured interim forfeiture of the lands after investigations revealed that $65 million meant for the construction of affordable homes for low-income Nigerians had been fully disbursed to a private developer, Good Earth Power Nigeria Limited, without a single housing unit completed.
Investigations further showed that the developer allegedly attempted to sell off the land to unsuspecting members of the public, prompting urgent legal action to prevent permanent loss of the asset.
The estate, initiated during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, was intended to expand access to affordable housing under the National Housing Fund Scheme. The court’s decision now repositions the project for revival under public oversight.
