The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, and the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, on Wednesday jointly conducted inspection of the seized 753-unit Abuja housing estate linked to former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
The inspection undertaken to enable the Federal Government undertake a full technical evaluation and eventual completion of the housing project, following of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s post-court judgment order to the anti-graft commission to hand over the estate to the ministry.
Dangiwa, who made the plan by the government to sell the seized estate known in his remarks after the assessment of the properties, said the ministry would immediately begin structural integrity tests on all buildings and the surrounding infrastructure to determine their suitability for habitation by buyers when sold.
He described the estate as a major asset recovery from fraudulent deals by unpatriotic Nigerians, adding that the buildings will be repurposed to serve the public under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The minister clarified: “This is not just about taking over a property, it’s about putting it to work for Nigerians. We’re focused on making this estate habitable and useful as soon as possible.”
He explained that following the technical assessment, the ministry would go ahead with other infrastructure work, including perimeter fencing, roads, drainage, and other essential amenities in the estate to guarantee their safety for buyers.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the EFCC said the inspection was meant to demonstrate the transparency of the recovery process, stressing that “this is a clear message that looted assets will not just be recovered, they will be used to benefit the people.”
It would be recalled that the EFCC had been in a legal battle against the former CBN Governor, Emefiele, after discovering on investigations that the properties were not legitimately acquired. The anti-graft commission on December 2, 2024 secured the final forfeiture of the estate based on court order.
A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja had on April 28 this year dismissed an application filed by Godwin Emefiele, seeking to reclaim the seized estate seized by the Federal Government.
Although the estate was initially linked to a company that later denied ownership, Emefiele, through his lawyer, A.M. Kotoye, filed a motion as an interested party in the suit.
