The Federal Ministry of Housing has said Nigerians will soon have the opportunity to own homes in a 753-duplex housing estate in Abuja. The estate was originally linked to former Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele and confiscated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The ministry also said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission handed over the property on Tuesday at the Ministry’s headquarters in Mabushi, Abuja. The ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Salisu Haiba, said this in a statement on Tuesday.
This came as stakeholders in the housing sector called for the transparent sale of the 753 housing units, stressing that government officials should not loot the properties again.
“The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has taken delivery of the 753 housing units in Abuja housing estate of former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,” the ministry stated in its statement.
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, praised the EFCC for its sustained commitment to asset recovery and anti-corruption.
EFCC, housing ministry to work on Emefiele’s estate
The minister also disclosed that Nigerians can apply to become estate owners through the Renewed Hope Portal. He will open and advertise the portal once the facility is complete and ready for habitation.
In collaboration with the EFCC, he announced that the ministry would conduct a joint familiarisation tour to assess the estate’s current status.
“We intend to carry out thorough integrity and structural assessments on all buildings and associated infrastructure to confirm their safety and suitability for habitation,” he explained.
The minister also detailed plans for a comprehensive technical evaluation to determine the cost and scope of completing the estate’s infrastructure, which includes perimeter fencing, roads, drainage, security posts, shopping, and recreational centres.
He emphasised that the initiative would serve as a model for accountability. “We are committed to making this a model of accountability and public benefit, and we look forward to working closely with the Commission to bring this effort to a successful conclusion,” he said.
The EFCC Chairman, Olanipekun Olukoyede, highlighted the handover’s symbolic and practical value in demonstrating the government’s resolve to fight corruption.
“It is important for us to demonstrate to Nigerians that whatever proceeds of crime that we have recovered in the course of our work, the application of that will be made transparent to Nigerians so that we will not allow looted assets to be looted again,” he stated.
Olukoyede said the estate, located on Plot 109, Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja, sits on a parcel of land measuring over 150,000 square meters and contains hundreds of apartments. He revealed that the commission would continue monitoring the Ministry’s efforts to complete the estate and provide periodic reports to President Bola Tinubu.
“We will monitor the completion and transparent disposal of the properties,” Olukoyede affirmed.
