Court orders forfeiture of lands approved for Jonathan Estate

Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered the permanent forfeiture of a multi-billion naira expanse of lands approved for the Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Model Housing Estate to the Federal Government.

The judge granted the motion on notice moved by counsel for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Osuobeni Akponimisingha.

The motion not opposed by the defence lawyer, Hassan Liman (SAN).

Justice Umar directed the ICPC to supervise the construction of the lands to completion of the 962 housing units as earlier proposed.

He held that the supervision should be done in collaboration with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), the sole respondent in the case, and ensure the utilisation of the housing units by end users.

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He said: “An order is hereby made for the final forfeiture of Plot No. 5 in Cadastral Zone D12, Kaba District, Abuja measuring approximately 122015.80m2 and valued at N1,944,375,000.00 (One Billion, Nine Hundred Forty-Four Million, Three Hundred and Seventy-Five Thousand Naira.

“An order is hereby made for the final forfeiture of Plot No. 4 in Cadastral Zone D12, Kaba District, Abuja, measuring approximately 157198.30m2 and valued at N3,340,500,000.00 (Three Billion, Three Hundred Forty Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira), suspected of being proceeds of unlawful activity.

“An order is hereby made directing the applicant, through the ICPC, to facilitate the hand-over of the forfeited properties to the respondent i.e. Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, being the victim of the alleged unlawful activity.”

Justice Umar, in the ruling delivered on December 11 further directed the ICPC and FMBN to set up a committee which membership is to be drawn from both agencies to implement the completion of the project.

The enrolled order was seen by journalists on Tuesday,

The judge had, on July 9, granted the commission’s prayer to temporarily take over the lands, after Akponimisingha moved a motion ex- parte to the effect.

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