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From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
Owners of WINHOMES Estate, a $250 million Diaspora-funded real estate project in Lagos, have petitioned President Bola Tinubu, accusing the Minister of Works, David Umahi, of reckless and damaging conduct over the ongoing demolition controversy surrounding the estate.
In a petition addressed to the President, WINHOMES Chief Executive Officer, a US-based Nigerian engineer and Diaspora investor, Stella Okengwu, alleged that the minister’s actions and public statements amounted to abuse of office, misrepresentation and conduct capable of eroding investor confidence in Nigeria.
She stated that Umahi’s repeated invocation of the President’s name in a dispute that is already before a competent court was “improper, unconstitutional and dangerous,” warning that it exposed the presidency to both legal and diplomatic risks.
“This matter is sub judice. By tying your name to his actions, he has placed the presidency in the line of legal and international fire,” Okengwu wrote, citing Section 1(3) of the 1999 Constitution as supreme over all officeholders.
Okengwu explained that the WINHOMES project, initiated in 2021, was designed as a tourism-led, Diaspora-backed development model to encourage Nigerians abroad to invest at home. The 20-hectare estate, she said, has three valid titles and 2,500 fully serviced plots valued at N150 million each, amounting to about N375 billion ($250 million).
She lamented that the rerouting of the Lagos coastal highway project had already affected 400 plots worth about N60 billion, while the total estimated loss, including infrastructure, stands at about N85 billion.
“This is Diaspora sweat, real capital and tangible infrastructure now endangered by ministerial overreach,” she said.
The WINHOMES CEO also dismissed allegations that the project was funded through illicit means, insisting that the company was fully certified by the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML) and compliant with all Central Bank and anti–money laundering regulations.
“All transactions were made through legitimate financial channels, such as Sendwave, MoneyGram, Western Union and TapTap. Any attempt to label these funds as illegal is defamatory and will attract legal consequences,” she stated.
Okengwu further accused Umahi of misleading the public by claiming that the court had already ruled in favour of the Federal Government, clarifying that the case, Suit No. FHC/L/CS/10063/25, is still pending before Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi.
Citing the 1986 Supreme Court case of Governor of Lagos State v. Ojukwu, she reminded the Minister that no party, including government agencies, is permitted to take the law into its own hands, while litigation is ongoing.
“The Minister’s physical visit to the site and his public declaration that he has taken over the land are contemptuous and unconstitutional,” she said.
She also alleged that some private developers had approached the Minister to buy portions of the disputed land, warning that such actions would amount to fraudulent interference with private property and could further damage Nigeria’s reputation among foreign investors.
“The world is watching. Every reckless statement from the Minister de-markets Nigeria and raises the risk perception of foreign investors,” Okengwu warned.
She appealed to President Tinubu to call Umahi to order, reaffirm the sanctity of the judiciary and set up an independent panel to assess the financial and reputational losses suffered by Diaspora investors.
She also demanded immediate compensation, a public retraction of alleged misinformation and an investigation into the reported cash-to-USD transactions within the Ministry of Works.
“This is your moment to prove that Renewed Hope is not just a slogan but a covenant of justice,” she told the President. “Either we defend the Constitution and Nigeria’s investment credibility or allow ministerial impunity to destroy decades of trust.”
The petition concluded with a call for structured dialogue between the Federal Government and WINHOMES through its legal representatives, emphasising that “the credibility of Nigeria’s investment climate will be judged by how this case is handled.”
