The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has officially taken delivery of a 753-unit housing estate formerly owned by the embattled former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.
Disclosing this in a statement on Tuesday, the ministry said that the property was handed over by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday at the Ministry’s headquarters in Mabushi, Abuja.
According to the ministry’s spokesman, Salisu Haiba, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, praised the EFCC for its sustained commitment to asset recovery and anti-corruption.
“The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has taken delivery of the 753 Housing Units Abuja housing estate of former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,” the statement said.
“This marks a significant milestone in our collective determination to ensure that recovered assets are put to productive use in ways that directly benefit the Nigerian people. The housing estate recovered from the former Governor of the Central Bank is a case in point.”
He announced that the Ministry, in collaboration with the EFCC, will undertake a joint familiarization tour to assess the current state of the estate.
“We intend to carry out thorough integrity and structural assessments on all buildings and associated infrastructure to confirm their safety and suitability for habitation,” he explained.
“The Ministry will offer the units for sale both to the public and for special government needs. For the public sale component, we will adopt a transparent and competitive process. This will include nationwide advertisement and the use of the Renewed Hope Portal, where interested Nigerians can submit their Expressions of Interest,” Dangiwa added.
The EFCC Chairman, Olanipekun Olukoyede, highlighted the symbolic and practical value of the handover in demonstrating the government’s resolve to fight corruption.
“It is important for us to demonstrate to Nigerians that whatever proceeds of crime that we have recovered in the course of our work, the application of that will be made transparent to Nigerians so that we will not allow looted assets to be looted again,” he stated.
