Dasuki seeks forfeited Abuja estate for military housing

Rep Abdussamad Dasuki, the lawmaker representing Tambuwal/Kebbe Federal Constituency of Sokoto State, has called for the allocation of a massive forfeited estate in Abuja to address the housing needs of military personnel.

The estate, spanning 150,500 square metres and comprising 753 duplexes and apartments, was forfeited on December 2, 2024, by order of Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie. Located in Plot 109, Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, the estate is the largest single asset recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) since its establishment in 2003.

In a statement marking Armed Forces Remembrance Day, Dasuki, who also chairs the House of Representatives Committee on Shipping Services, emphasised the urgent need for collaboration between the National Assembly and the Executive to ensure the estate is allocated to the military.

“Doing so is a moral obligation we owe our heroes in active service,” he said, noting that, “At this time that the 2025 budget is undergoing legislative input is an auspicious time to do so, even if it requires invoking the Doctrine of Necessity.”

He said an amended Appropriation Bill for funding of the completion of the housing units to make them habitable for military personnel could be sent by President Bola Tinubu to the National Assembly.

While noting that the forfeiture is indeed a milestone in the fight against the hydra-headed problem of corruption, Dasuki said another milestone can be recorded in the use this forfeited estate is put to by the Federal Government.

Dasuki said a major area where the wellbeing of military personnel and their families can be enhanced was in the area of housing. “We must ensure that those who keep us safe and their families have a decent place to lay their heads every night,” he said.

According to him, adequate and decent housing is a critical need of the military, and lack of it often leads to stress, low morale, and physical and emotional strain that could undermine the capacity of the military to carry out its duties effectively.

“We must be eternally grateful to those men and women who laid down their lives to keep us safe, secure and united as an indivisible nation. We must continually honour their ultimate sacrifice not only by paying glowing tributes to their memories, but also by ensuring that the noble cause they died for is not in vain.

“As the nation honours its fallen heroes, we must not fail to cater for the welfare of those in active service. Those who have taken up the noble task to keep our nation safe and secure, and to defend our territorial integrity. While it is of great importance to provide them with the armaments to do so, we must also prioritize their welfare and those of their families.

“By prioritizing the welfare of the Armed Forces and their families, national security will be strengthened, operational readiness and effectiveness of the military will be enhanced, and our commitment to the well-being of those who keep us safe will be indubitable.

“We will also be showing clearly to these gallant men and women that bear arms in our defence that we are indeed grateful for their service to the nation,” the lawmaker said.

He said addressing the housing needs of the military requires a concerted effort from the National Assembly and the Executive through strategic policy formulation, budgetary allocation and legislative reforms.

“But these is an urgent issue, and there is a low hanging fruit that can be plucked to address, significantly, a chunk of this housing needs of our military, particularly in the Federal Capital Territory”, he said.

Dasuki called on the National Assembly to urgently work with the Executive in ensuring that this forfeited massive estate is allocated to the military to address the housing needs of military personnel.

“Doing so is a moral obligation we owe our heroes in active service… We must not allow this opportunity to slip by. It is the right thing to do for those who keep us safe,” he said.