A civic advocacy group, Youth Arise Movement, has called on the Federal Government to abandon its plan to sell a cache of 753 confiscated duplexes and instead use the properties to address the housing crisis faced by members of Nigeria’s Armed Forces.
The properties, reportedly linked to former Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele and confiscated as part of an anti-corruption probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), were officially handed over to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development earlier this week.
At a formal ceremony in Abuja on May 20, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede transferred the assets to Minister Ahmed Dangiwa, who announced that a structural inspection would be conducted before initiating public sales via the Renewed Hope housing platform.
However, in a statement released Thursday, Youth Arise Movement expressed concern over the proposed sale, describing it as a missed opportunity to serve national interest. The group’s convener, Ademola Abidemi, argued that allocating the homes to personnel in the Army, Navy, and Air Force would directly address widespread accommodation shortages in the military.
“Our armed forces have made immense sacrifices under difficult conditions. Granting them access to these homes is a meaningful gesture that will not only ease their burden but also reaffirm the nation’s support for their service,” Abidemi said.
He also cast doubt on the transparency of the upcoming property sales, citing past controversies surrounding public asset auctions. “Nigerians have seen this script before grand promises of fairness followed by backroom deals. We fear this may be no different,” he warned.
The group proposed an alternative model where the homes could be offered to military officers at subsidised prices, with repayments deducted gradually from their salaries an approach aimed at encouraging ownership while easing financial strain.
Abidemi framed the proposal as consistent with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and a rare opportunity to directly improve the welfare of military personnel.
“This would mark a historic moment a civilian administration taking concrete steps to meet the needs of those who defend our sovereignty,” he said.
The group also encouraged the Ministry of Housing to shift its focus toward long-term affordable housing initiatives for the general public, pointing to recent federal approvals for judicial housing as a positive example of targeted development.
Concluding the statement, Abidemi said using the forfeited properties to support the military would serve as both a symbolic and practical move, steering recovered assets away from potential controversy and toward national service.
“This is more than policy it’s a test of leadership. Will the government act boldly or let this opportunity dissolve into another tale of missed priorities?” he asked.
