FG Inaugurates Committee to Oversee Completion, Disposal of Seized Abuja Estate

•Emefiele asks FG to halt sale of houses over pending appeal

•Kogi poly rector wants buildings converted to liaison centre for LGs

Emmanuel Addeh, Alex Enumah in Abuja and Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

The Housing and Urban Development Minister, Ahmed Dangiwa, yesterday inaugurated a 12-member ministerial committee to oversee the completion and disposal of the confiscated 753-unit housing estate located in Lokogoma district, Abuja.

The estate seized from a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, was handed over to the ministry by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) last week, in line with the directive of President Bola Tinubu.

Dangiwa told the inspection team during the physical handover that he will establish a technical committee to carry out a quality assessment test of the estate, as well as complete and suggest how the federal government will dispose of the houses.

The Ministerial committee has Dr. Shuaib Belgore, the Permanent Secretary as Chairman and will  conduct a thorough structural and integrity test of the buildings; ascertain the number and status of the housing units and evaluate the value of existing work done through proper surveying and market valuation.

Other terms of reference include: To assess the cost of completing internal roads, power, water, security infrastructure, and public amenities and to develop standardised architectural and finishing guides for consistency and quality assurance.

Besides, the committee will propose a clear, transparent, and inclusive strategy for the disposal and allocation of the housing units to Nigerians, special government needs, based on  affordability, equity, and public access through the Renewed Hope Housing Portal.

It will also design a robust communication and public engagement plan that builds public confidence, ensuring inter-agency coordination with stakeholders like EFCC, and utility providers, while a preliminary report will be submitted within four weeks.

Dangiwa explained that the committee was constituted based on the vision the president to ensure that the recovered property is quickly transformed into liveable, secure, and affordable homes for the benefit of Nigerians.

 “ Your selection is a testament to the confidence the ministry has in your capacity to drive this initiative with the seriousness and efficiency it demands” he said.

But  Emefiele has asked the federal government to shelve its planned sale of the 753 units of a housing estate seized from him last year, pending the hearing and determination of his appeal pending at the Abuja division of the court of Appeal.

Emefiele, in a letter to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, dated May 26, observed that the notice of Appeal as well as notice of injunction has already been served on the EFCC.

The former CBN boss in the letter signed by his lawyer, Mr A. O. M. Adebowale therefore urged the minister not to take any further step that would affect the matter before the appellate court.

“We write to bring to your notice the pendency of our appeal at the Court of Appeal, Abuja following the judgment of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, sitting at Apo, delivered by His Lordship J.O Onwuegbuize on April 28, 2025,

“We have become aware of the handing over of the properties subject matter of the pending appeal to the Ministry of Works and Housing through the Honourable Minister for Works and Housing and further aware that the said properties will soon be made available to the general public for purchase vide auction.

“We served the Notice of Appeal on the Legal Department of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on May 2, 2025 and further served a Notice of Injunction on May 22, 2025. It is in lieu of the foregoing that we write to bring the pendency of our appeal to your notice and ask that further steps on the subject matter of the appeal be stayed pending hearing of the appeal”, the letter read in part.

Emefiele in the notice of Appeal dated and filed April 30 by his lawyer, A. M. Kotoye (SAN) prayed the appellate court to set aside the entire proceedings and orders of the trial court made on November 1 and December 2, 2024, on the grounds of nullity. The appeal which was predicated on four grounds accused the trial court of “Misdirection” and “Error in law”.

According to the appellant, the trial judge erred in law when it dismissed the entire application on the twin grounds that adequate notice was given to the appellant and that there was no breach of the appellant’s right to fair hearing thereby occasioning a miscarriage of justice. “It is trite that nullity vitiates all proceedings including the one which took place before the learned trial judge,” he argued.

Besides, in a motion on notice filed on May 21, Emefiele is praying the appellate court for an injunction restraining the Respondent whether by itself, servants, appointees, agents, officers, privies or any person or persons acting for or on its behalf from alienating in any manner whatsoever the property lying at Plot 109 Cadastral Zone CO9, Lokogoma District, Abuja, measuring 150,462.84 square meters pending the hearing and determination of the Appellant’s appeal.

The request for a restraining order according to the applicant is to ensure that the judgment of the appellate court would not be rendered nugatory, hence the need to stop the respondent from dissipating selling, leasing and/or developing the properties which is the Subject matter of this Appeal.

However, the federal government has been urged to convert the recovered duplexes to national liaison offices for the 774 Local Government Areas  across the country.

The Rector of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, Prof. Sallisu Usman, made the appeal in a statement made available to journalists in Lokoja yesterday.

He emphasised that converting the recovered properties into a national asset by designating them as liaison offices and residential quarters for LGAs would serve as a powerful symbol of the federal government’s commitment to fighting corruption and as a reminder of the abuse of public trust by former public officials.

“While some have proposed handing them over to the Nigerian military as additional barracks, others suggest outright sale through open competitive bidding. In response, I wish to propose that the federal government convert the 753 duplexes into a National Liaison Office for Local Government Areas, with each of the 774 LGAs in Nigeria allocated one unit.

“To make up for the shortfall of 21 units, the federal government can construct the additional duplexes, complete the existing structures, and allocate one to each LGA as both a national monument and a lasting metaphor for public accountability.

“It is therefore expedient for the government to organise the duplexes in state-based clusters, dedicating a unit in each cluster to a specific Local Government Area. Should this proposal be adopted, the estate can also serve as a revenue-generating asset for the LGAs, should they choose to leverage it for commercial purposes.

“To finance the construction of the additional 21 duplexes and the completion of existing ones, the federal government can deduct the necessary funds equitably from LGAs’ monthly federal allocations over time, minimising financial strain,” he stated.

The political science scholar noted that the initiative would not only promote administrative efficiency but also enhance national representation and inclusivity.

Meanwhile, the federal government has inaugurated a new Board of Directors for the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), with a charge to deepen institutional reforms, strengthen governance, and reposition the bank for greater impact in delivering affordable housing to Nigerians.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Dangiwa said the board’s mandate goes beyond ceremonial duties, stressing that they are expected to lead strategic reforms and oversee the transformation of the bank into a more efficient, transparent, and impactful housing finance institution.

Dangiwa, who previously served as Managing Director of FMBN, noted that the bank remains central to the federal government’s National Housing Fund (NHF) Scheme, providing single-digit interest rate mortgage loans with up to 30-year tenors—terms unmatched by commercial banks.

“FMBN is a national asset. But it must not become an excuse for complacency or inefficiency. The unique mandate of FMBN imposes a corresponding duty of responsibility, innovation, and accountability. FMBN must work, and it must work better,” he said.

He outlined key priorities for the new board, including a push for the long-delayed N500 billion recapitalisation, expansion of the NHF contributor base to cover the informal sector and diaspora, digitisation of all customer touchpoints, and the disbursement of at least 20,000 mortgage loans and 5,000 housing units annually.

He also commended the current FMBN management for key operational milestones, including the implementation of a Core Banking Application, N73 billion disbursed in housing finance, registration of nearly 374,000 new contributors, and an unaudited surplus of N11.58 billion for 2024. The new board is chaired by Dr Nasir Yusuf.