The Federal Government has finalized plans to sell a large estate linked to former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, to Nigerians in the low- and middle-income brackets. The estate, comprising 753 housing units, was seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in December 2024. Spanning over 150,000 square metres and featuring duplexes and other types of residences, the property represents the EFCC’s largest single asset recovery since its establishment in 2003. The recovery followed a final forfeiture order issued by Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja on December 2, 2024. In April 2025, Emefiele attempted to reclaim the estate through legal action, alleging that the EFCC had withheld information about the forfeiture despite ongoing interactions over other charges. His bid was ultimately rejected by the court.
On May 20, 2025, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede officially handed the estate over to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa.
Speaking with Saturday PUNCH, Badamasi Haiba, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Housing Ministry, stated that the sale aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to make housing more accessible to everyday Nigerians.
Haiba confirmed that the estate is still under construction. Before any sales take place, the ministry will conduct structural and integrity assessments to guide decisions on allocation and pricing.
“We’ll profile the houses and determine how they’ll be offered to Nigerians. The minister’s consistent goal has been inclusive homeownership for all income levels, especially the low and middle-income groups,” he said.
He added that sales would be managed through the ministry’s online portal and assured that payment options would be flexible.
“Homes sold by the ministry will always have flexible payment options, including mortgage, instalment, rent-to-own payment, etc., whether in this case or any other," he said.
“These are just 753 units. The ministry has over 10,000 houses nearing completion nationwide under the Renewed Hope Housing Programme.
“The ministry has a web portal developed where sales of these houses are done – renewedhopehomes.fmhud.gov.ng. The minister has already stated that the same process will be adopted in selling these confiscated houses.”