According to the Federal Government, Nigerians would be allowed to purchase the 753 housing units that were seized from former Governor Godwin Emefiele of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The EFCC claims that since the agency’s founding in 2003, the halted housing units represent the largest single asset seizure.
After Ahmed Dangiwa, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, and Olanipekun Olukoyede, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), led a joint team on a site inspection of the closed housing estate, the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development released a statement revealing the development.
After President Bola Tinubu ordered it, the EFCC formally turned over the estate, which had been connected to Emefiele, to the Ministry in December 2024.
Dangiwa declared during the inspection that the Ministry will start its technical evaluations right away by testing the buildings’ integrity.
Following a successful assessment, the structures will be finished and offered for sale to Nigerians via the Renewed Hope Portal, which is currently up and running.
The Minister urged those in public office to abstain from corrupt activities and reaffirmed the Federal Government’s dedication to accountability and openness.
He praised the EFCC and its leadership for what he called a historic recovery—one of the most important in the country’s history in such a short period of time—and declared, “The government of the day is serious about fighting corruption.”
Dangiwa therefore exhorted Nigerians to continue to believe in the EFCC and back its initiatives to increase recoveries for the public good.
The Chairman of the EFCC, Olukoyede, explained during the ceremony that what Nigerians had previously seen on television was only an aerial picture of the estate.
“The essence of this visit is to show that it is real,” he said, underscoring the transparency and accountability that guide the commission’s actions.
The EFCC claims that this is the biggest recovery of a single asset since the agency’s founding in 2003. It comprises duplexes and other apartment types and spans more than 150,000 square metres.
After Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja issued a final forfeiture order on December 2, 2024, the estate was retrieved.
In an attempt to recover the estate, which had already been lost to the government, Emefiele went to an FCT High Court in April 2025.
Despite his repeated contacts with the EFCC about other outstanding accusations, he claimed that the agency purposefully kept the forfeiture proceedings from him.
His application was, however, dismissed by the court
