EFCC, Housing Minister Meet Tinubu Over Seized Properties

The EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, and Housing and Urban Development Minister, Muttaqha Rabe Darma, met President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Abuja over the management of seized properties.

The meeting, held at the State House on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, focused on how houses seized by the anti-graft agency across Nigeria should be managed and disposed of.

According to a statement from the State House media office, the discussions centred on ensuring transparency and accountability throughout the process.

The statement said, “Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Olanipekun Ola Olukoyede, and Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqha Rabe Darma, met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the management and disposal of seized houses nationwide, under the rules of transparency and Accountability at the State House, Abuja. Tuesday, August 18, 2026.”

The meeting comes shortly after President Tinubu intervened in a separate dispute involving the EFCC and the Osun State Government.

The commission had obtained an order on August 5 to freeze some of the state government’s accounts ahead of the governorship election. The EFCC said the action formed part of an investigation into the alleged mismanagement of ecology funds, intervention funds and allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee.

The funds under investigation were reportedly worth about ₦11 billion.

The Osun State Government challenged the freezing order at the Federal High Court in Abuja, asking the court to cancel it and award ₦2 billion in exemplary damages. The state also accused the EFCC of conducting what it described as an unsubstantiated “witch-hunt” since March.

President Tinubu later urged the EFCC to withdraw the order against the state government.

Following his victory in the governorship election, Governor Ademola Adeleke said he had directed the state Attorney General to discontinue the case against the commission.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Adeleke said: “I’m putting them behind. What else do I want? I have instructed my Attorney General to drop it. Mr President has done well. He called me. What more do I want?”

The latest EFCC meeting with Tinubu places renewed attention on the handling of assets recovered or seized during financial crime investigations. Ensuring clear procedures for their management and disposal will be important in maintaining public confidence in the process.

The discussions also underline the government’s stated focus on accountability when dealing with properties recovered through anti-corruption investigations.

What measures should the government adopt to ensure seized properties are managed and sold transparently?