The Federal Government has taken possession of a massive housing estate in Abuja comprising 753 duplexes, which were previously linked to former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, and seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The estate, located in Lokogoma District on Plot 109, Cadastral Zone C09, spans over 150,000 square meters and was officially handed over to the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.
According to a statement from the ministry, the handover marks a significant step in repurposing assets recovered through anti-corruption efforts. The Minister of Housing, Ahmed Dangiwa, lauded the EFCC’s work and announced that the ministry would soon begin a transparent public sale of the housing units.
“This initiative transforms a symbol of abuse of office into an opportunity for public benefit,” Dangiwa said. “We will adopt a competitive and open process through the Renewed Hope Portal to allow all interested Nigerians to apply.”
He added that an extensive technical assessment will be conducted to evaluate the safety, structural integrity, and completion needs of the estate, including roads, fencing, and drainage systems.
The EFCC Chairman, Olanipekun Olukoyede, emphasized that the commission would closely monitor the auction process to ensure fairness and transparency, stating that “looted assets must not be re-looted.”
The estate, according to court filings, was allegedly funded through illicit kickbacks obtained during Emefiele’s tenure at the Central Bank, involving foreign exchange allocations and contract awards.
A Federal High Court ruling in December 2024 granted the government full forfeiture rights, following an earlier interim order. Emefiele’s attempt to reclaim the property was dismissed in April 2025, with the court affirming that due process had been followed.
While many have welcomed the government’s move, industry professionals have voiced concerns over the potential for insider bias in the sale of the properties.
Toye Eniola, Executive Secretary of the Association of Housing Corporations of Nigeria, said the homes should be offered to genuinely needy citizens and not redirected to well-connected buyers.
“The properties belong to the public. The process must reflect fairness and accessibility, not favoritism toward government insiders,” he said.
Construction industry expert Adewunmi Okupe proposed that each duplex be remodeled into four smaller units to expand the housing pool, which could potentially yield over 3,000 homes.
“Rather than selling luxury homes as-is, convert them into affordable units and use the revenue to fund more housing projects,” he suggested.
Others, such as Stephen Eke of Fajiri Construction, and Seyi Amusan of Space Button Architecture, warned that transparency should extend beyond announcements. They called for clarity on unit pricing, resale conditions, and government use of the estate.
“It’s not enough to say the homes are for the public—there needs to be an audit trail of who benefits,” Amusan noted.
The Ministry of Housing has not yet disclosed the pricing details or date for the commencement of sales but promised nationwide advertising to ensure wide participation.
With the estate now firmly under government control, all eyes are on how the Ministry will execute the sale. The success of the initiative may become a litmus test for the Tinubu administration’s anti-corruption and housing reform agenda.
Officials maintain that every step taken will reflect the values of transparency, integrity, and accountability, ensuring that the properties benefit ordinary Nigerians and not just the elite.
