Tinubu Reviews Disposal, Management of EFCC-Recovered Properties

Tinubu Reviews Disposal, Management of EFCC-Recovered Properties
Moves to put forfeited properties to public use
The EFCC has reported recovering more than 1,500 non-monetary assets, predominantly properties, between late 2023 and 2025

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday met with the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Olanipekun Olukoyede, and the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqha Rabe Darma, to discuss the management and disposal of houses and landed properties forfeited to the Federal Government.

Contents

EDITOR’S PICK
FURTHER READING

Eko Hot Blog reports that the meeting, held at the State House in Abuja, focused on how properties recovered through anti-corruption and financial crime proceedings can be properly preserved, managed and eventually disposed of in a transparent and accountable manner.

EDITOR’S PICK

The engagement comes as the EFCC continues to build a large portfolio of landed assets secured through interim and final forfeiture orders across the country.

The development also reflects the administration’s emphasis on moving beyond the recovery of assets to ensuring that properties seized through legal proceedings are preserved and put to productive use for the benefit of Nigerians.

One of the major properties already transferred to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is the 753-unit housing estate located at Plot 109, Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja.

The estate, which consists of duplexes and apartments sitting on more than 150,000 square metres of land, was finally forfeited to the Federal Government in December 2024.

The EFCC handed over the property to the Housing Ministry in May 2025 for completion and eventual deployment for public benefit.

The estate had been linked to former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

Several other properties linked to Emefiele have also been subject to forfeiture proceedings. They include duplexes and apartments in Lekki Phase 1 and Ikoyi, undeveloped land and a bungalow around Queens Drive, Ikoyi, properties on Probyn Road and Adekunle Lawal Road, as well as an industrial complex covering 22 plots in Agbor, Delta State.

The portfolio also includes a multi-storey development containing several housing units in the Otunba Elegushi area of Lagos, alongside industrial, warehouse and other properties in Lekki, Ikoyi and Amuwo-Odofin.

The Supreme Court in 2026 also affirmed the forfeiture of seven landed properties linked to Emefiele, in addition to monetary and other assets.

The volume of properties under forfeiture proceedings has increased further this year, with cases involving former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, his associates, family members and companies.

2027: Ondo APC Leaders Declare Tinubu’s Re-Election a ‘National Assignment’ — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

An interim forfeiture order covering 57 properties valued at about ₦213 billion was granted in January. By July, 48 of the properties, valued at approximately ₦180 billion, had been finally forfeited, while nine were released.

The properties are located across the Federal Capital Territory, Kebbi, Kano and Kaduna states and include residential buildings, hotels, commercial properties, factories and large parcels of land.

Among them are a luxury duplex on Amazon Street, Maitama, Abuja; a two-winged storey building formerly occupied by Harmonia Hotels on Onitsha Crescent, Area 11, Garki; and a five-storey, 53-room hotel in Jabi District.

Other properties in Abuja include a 15-room hotel on Rhine Street, Maitama, properties and terraces in Asokoro, and residential buildings in Gwarimpa, BUA Estate, Apo Legislative Quarters, Wuse II and Karsana.

The forfeited assets also include commercial developments in Wuse II and other parts of the capital, as well as residential and hospitality properties in Kano.

In Kebbi, the assets comprise landed developments, buildings linked to agro-allied and hospitality businesses and large parcels of land, including more than 100 hectares along the Birnin Kebbi-Jega Road.

A residential property in Abakpa GRA, Kaduna, was also covered by the forfeiture proceedings.

The EFCC has separately secured an interim forfeiture order over nine high-value properties in Abuja linked to former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.

The properties include terraces in Dakibiyu, duplexes and office complexes across Abuja, blocks of flats in Wuse and Garki, as well as buildings in Maitama and Mpape.

In another case, 52 terrace and maisonette housing units at Mercyville Estate, Covenant Way, Ilasan, Lekki, Lagos, were finally forfeited in July 2026.

The anti-graft agency has also secured the final forfeiture of several unclaimed landed assets in Abuja and other states, including residential and commercial properties in Karsana, Dakibiyu and Guzape in the FCT, as well as properties and land in Borno, Nasarawa and Niger states.

The scale of the recovered assets presents a growing management challenge for the Federal Government.

The EFCC has reported recovering more than 1,500 non-monetary assets, predominantly properties, between late 2023 and 2025.

However, the legal status of the properties varies. While some have been finally forfeited to the Federal Government, others remain under interim orders and may still be subject to claims, appeals or other judicial proceedings.

Tuesday’s meeting is therefore expected to strengthen coordination between the EFCC and the Housing Ministry in managing the growing portfolio.

While the EFCC is responsible for securing forfeiture orders and taking possession of recovered assets, the Housing Ministry has the technical capacity to assess, complete, manage and deploy housing properties transferred to the government.

The handover of the 753-unit Lokogoma estate has already provided an example of how properties recovered through anti-corruption proceedings can potentially be converted into housing stock for public benefit.

The Tinubu administration has also been working on mechanisms to improve the tracking and management of recovered assets, including the National Central Database of Forfeited Assets.

The latest engagement signals the Federal Government’s intention to ensure that forfeited houses and landed properties are not left idle but are properly documented, preserved and managed, while any disposal is conducted through transparent processes that protect their value and deliver benefits to Nigerians.