Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has revoked approvals issued to a developer accused of turning a designated park and recreational area into a residential estate in the Guzape district of Abuja.
The decision came after authorities discovered that the land, originally reserved for leisure purposes under the Abuja master plan, had been unlawfully converted into housing structures.
“This place was given for park and recreation, not for the development of an estate. Nobody will allow that,” Wike stated.
Speaking during a tour of ongoing infrastructure projects across the FCT on Monday, the minister revealed that all structures on the site had already been marked for demolition.
He warned that the administration would take a firm stance against violations of land-use regulations, noting that some developers deliberately exploit loopholes, hoping illegal projects will later be regularised by future governments.
“People think the government will come and go and they will continue what they are doing. We will not allow that here. It does not matter who is involved; we will do the right thing.
“An armed robber cannot operate without someone linking him. There must be collaborators somewhere. In some cases, civil servants may be involved, but that will not stop us from doing what is right.”
Wike also referenced a recent crackdown where the FCT Administration demolished buildings constructed on plots allocated to foreign embassies. He disclosed that affected diplomatic missions had been contacted and encouraged to take possession and begin development of their lands.
The minister further admitted that some of these illegal developments may involve insiders within government agencies but stressed that such actions would not be ignored.
“For instance, before development control can give approval for a building, the owner must present a certificate of occupancy (C-of-O). If there is no C-of-O, how was approval granted? These are some of the problems we face,” he added.
