Operators in the housing sector have backed the declaration made by the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, who said that most luxury homes in Abuja are owned by civil servants and not politicians.
In an interview with The PUNCH, the President of the Association of Housing Corporations of Nigeria, Eno Obongha, reiterated that home ownership must be lawfully owned and void of corrupt practices.
He said, “First and foremost, this is an informed report based on the investigation carried out by the relevant agency. According to the findings, there were three separate investigations of that nature, each supported by documentary evidence.
Initially, there were claims that N33bn was missing from the ministry, but after a thorough examination, it was revealed that only N3bn was actually unaccounted for, and even that involved the alleged complicity of some ministers. There’s nothing wrong with stating the facts as they are.
“While we support the idea that every citizen has the right to own a house, it must be emphasised that such ownership must be lawful. If a property was acquired through fraudulent means or linked to criminal conduct, then a proper investigation must be carried out. Where wrongdoing is established, the law must take its full course. We cannot defend criminality under the guise of promoting home ownership.
“A crime remains a crime, whether committed in daylight or under the cover of night and whether the individual is a politician or a civil servant. That said, our broader objective is to ensure that we encourage people to own homes legally and sustainably. This is why we emphasise the importance of mortgage systems. The current mindset that one must first raise millions of naira to purchase a three-, four-, or five-bedroom house outright is problematic. Instead, we need to promote a housing culture that allows people to save and gradually pay for their homes through structured mortgage plans.”
He said this situation has been an eye-opener, stressing that it highlights the weaknesses in the government’s supervisory and institutional frameworks.
“Clearly, we are lacking in effective oversight and checks and balances. Strengthening these systems is essential if we are to make real progress in ensuring accountability, transparency, and the promotion of lawful home ownership,” he said.
EFCC chairman, Olukoyede, recently disclosed that most luxury homes in Abuja are owned by civil servants, not politicians, suggesting possible involvement in corrupt practices and illicit enrichment.
In a similar vein, the Chief Executive Officer of Magnificent Choice Services Project and Engineering Ltd, Jeremiah Akinsele, said, “My main concern here is the approach to fighting corruption, especially when it is deeply embedded in the system. It’s not a simple task. As the chairman rightly pointed out, no minister can single-handedly misappropriate funds because they do not have direct access to the money.
“There are permanent secretaries, directors, and other civil servants involved in the process. In fact, many of the luxurious houses in Abuja are owned not by politicians but by civil servants. Unfortunately, no one seems to be questioning this or tracing the source of their wealth.”
He explained further, ”One major challenge is the absence of proper documentation systems, which is something institutions like the World Bank are currently advocating to improve. The goal is to change how we register and track properties.
“In many cases, property records are incomplete or manipulated, often using numbers instead of names, making it difficult to trace actual ownership. This loophole makes it almost impossible for the government to effectively combat corruption in the property sector.”
The EFCC boss had disclosed in an interview shared via his verified X handle that Nigeria’s civil service harbours some of the most corrupt individuals in the country, emphasising that the majority of Abuja’s most luxurious properties in elite districts like Asokoro and Maitama were not owned by politicians or business moguls but by civil servants whose official earnings can barely justify their lavish acquisitions.
“Statistics have shown, and we have evidence to prove, that most houses in Asokoro and Maitama are owned by civil servants,” Olukoyede stated.
Asokoro and Maitama are known as Abuja’s crème de la crème, neighbourhoods reserved for the ultra-wealthy and influential. That civil servants dominate these highbrow areas, the EFCC boss argued, is a testament to just how entrenched and profitable corruption has become within the public establishment.
According to Olukoyede, an EFCC investigation into a federal ministry revealed that a staggering N33.7bn had been stolen. Shockingly, only N3bn was traced to the then minister, while a jaw-dropping ₦30.7bn was linked to top-ranking civil servants, including directors of finance, procurement, and administration.
He said, “This is the shocking truth Nigerians must wake up to. The volume of money stolen by establishment people, the so-called career civil servants, far exceeds what most politicians have stolen.
“From our investigation, it is clear that politicians cannot steal without the active collaboration of establishment insiders. Political appointees come and go, but these civil servants remain embedded, powerful, and often untouchable.”
When asked why these revelations have not been widely publicised or the culprits exposed, Olukoyede explained that the EFCC operates based on traceable evidence, noting that in many cases, stolen funds are laundered through real estate, children’s bank accounts, or cronies, making investigations complex but not impossible.
“In several cases, the suspects confessed. They didn’t even deny ownership of the funds or properties once we presented them with documentary evidence. If they had tried to blame the minister or political leadership, we might have treated them as accessories. But they owned up because the evidence was overwhelming.”
Olukoyede stressed that while the public and media often focus on corrupt politicians, the real power players in Nigeria’s grand corruption scheme are the so-called ‘establishment people’, career bureaucrats who have turned public office into a pipeline for personal enrichment.
“The civil service has become a shadow government where fortunes are syphoned off the national treasury behind closed doors, and unless we confront this head-on, Nigeria will continue to bleed,” he warned.
The EFCC boss also pointed fingers at the private sector, describing it as ‘just as rotten’ as the public sector, maintaining that massive corruption exists in both realms, with collusion often occurring between corporate entities and government insiders.
The commission, he said, was ramping up its investigative techniques, tracing illicit funds, tracking real estate purchases, and interrogating financial flows. Its aim is clear: to dismantle the web of corruption that has gripped Nigeria’s institutions from within. (Punch)
