“A Federal High Court ruling has dismissed Winhomes’ suit over the Coastal Highway, finding the company lacked locus standi after admitting it had sold the disputed land. The court’s decision exposes contradictions in public claims and reaffirms the project’s legal compliance.”
Lagos | Sunday, November 23, 2025
A recent ruling of the Federal High Court has brought renewed clarity to the controversy involving Winhomes Global Services Limited and the Federal Ministry of Works regarding the ongoing Coastal Highway project. The court struck out the suit filed by Mrs. Stella Ifeoma Okengwu, Chief Executive Officer of Winhomes, declaring that the action lacked merit and was inconsistent with the facts she herself presented before the court.
Mrs. Okengwu has been in the news for months over her allegation that the Honourable Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, diverted the Coastal Highway alignment into a supposed Winhomes residential development in Okun Ajah, Lagos. She publicly claimed the decision endangered an investment she valued at over $250 million. However, the Ministry of Works and new judicial findings reveal a different narrative-one that calls her claims into question.
Authorities familiar with the project note that what has been repeatedly described in the media as a “residential development” is, in fact, only a gatehouse erected on otherwise undeveloped land. The Ministry insists that no diversion targeted any legitimate private development and that the Coastal Highway’s alignment followed established technical criteria.
More importantly, Mrs. Okengwu’s own court filings ultimately undermined the basis of her public assertions. In Suit No. FHC/L/CS/1803/2024, before the Federal High Court in Lagos, she deposed in her affidavit and further affidavit that Winhomes had already sold the disputed land to third parties. By admitting that her company no longer held proprietary interest in the land, she inadvertently removed the foundation upon which her allegations of diversion and injury were built.
Delivering its ruling on the preliminary objections, the Federal High Court held that neither Mrs. Okengwu nor Winhomes Global Services Limited had the locus standi to institute the suit. The court stated that a party that has divested its interest in land cannot claim to have suffered legal harm arising from government action on that land. It further found that the plaintiffs failed to disclose a reasonable cause of action against the defendants.
The court also held that the issues raised-primarily land use disputes and alleged trespass-fall outside the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court. Pursuant to Section 251 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, such matters fall within the jurisdiction of state high courts, not the federal court. The suit was therefore fundamentally defective and incapable of being sustained.
In a statement reacting to the ruling, Special Adviser on Media to the Minister of Works, Mr. Orji Uchenna Orji, said the judgment exposes the contradictions between Mrs. Okengwu’s public narrative and her sworn testimony. According to him, “the court has now provided an authoritative clarification that sharply contradicts the misleading stories being circulated online. Her own affidavit showed she had already sold the land, yet she continued to push claims capable of causing unnecessary confusion.”
Mr. Orji further accused Mrs. Okengwu of waging a sustained campaign of misinformation. He stated that she had been “indiscriminately and dishonestly dishing out and sponsoring misleading and purposeful falsehoods in the most unpatriotic manners, with an ulterior motive of scaring foreign investors from investing in Nigeria.” He added that her allegations against Engr. Umahi were “mendacious and unfounded,” noting that the court ruling confirms this.
The Special Adviser emphasized that the Minister of Works is focused on delivering the federal government’s Renewed Hope infrastructure agenda and will not be distracted by unverified claims. He stressed that the Coastal Highway is a transformational project designed to enhance connectivity, unlock economic potential, and create a new development corridor from Lagos to Cross River.
The Ministry reiterated that the project’s alignment followed due process, including engineering designs, hydrological studies, and environmental reviews. It emphasized that the Coastal Highway remains a crucial national undertaking guided by transparency and technical competence.
Mr. Orji urged the public to rely on verified facts rather than sensational online posts. “Members of the public are enjoined to discountenance all the trending online vituperations of the CEO of Winhomes against the Honourable Minister of Works and her claims concerning the Coastal Highway project,” he said.
With the court’s decision now public, stakeholders say the ruling restores factual clarity and removes lingering ambiguities about Winhomes’ interest in the land. The judgment also reinforces the federal government’s insistence that the Coastal Highway project is proceeding within legal, regulatory, and engineering frameworks.
The Ministry maintains that it remains committed to advancing national infrastructure without yielding to distractions. The clarification from the court, officials say, will help refocus attention on the substantial economic and developmental value that the Coastal Highway will deliver to Nigeria.
A Federal High Court ruling has dismissed Winhomes’ suit over the Coastal Highway, finding the company lacked locus standi after admitting it had sold the disputed land. The court’s decision exposes contradictions in public claims and reaffirms the project’s legal compliance.
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