By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, has pulled down 30 illegal structures at the River Park Estate in Abuja, over violations of planning regulations.
Director of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, who led enforcement on Wednesday, said that the demolition followed reports that developers were working day and night to beat the directive.
The Administration accused the affected developers of ignoring all warnings to stop all construction work after the withdrawal of their lease agreement and recommendations by a ministerial committee that all undeveloped plots in the estate be reverted to the FCTA.
The FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike, on August 8, 2025, had inaugurated an ad-hoc committee on the review of controversies surrounding the River Park Estate.
Following this, last week the Barr. Salman Dako led committee had submitted its reports to the minister , which explained that the revocation of the undeveloped plots was necessitated by the expiration and breach of the DLA and the need to reassert administrative control over the affected plot in line with Clause 9.2 of the DLA.
The committee, however, directed that holders of previous “customary” titles whose plots fall within the Riverpark Estate boundaries and who have developed in accordance with applicable planning and development control regulations, “be permitted to retain their titles.””This recommendation aligns with the subsisting court judgment referenced in paragraph 16.3.”
Furthermore, a week ago, two committees submitted their reports to the FCT Minister. One of the committees was on issues surrounding the River Park estate development. And the second one was on recommendations that all undeveloped plots within the estates be reverted to FCT Administration.
“So we got a report that certain developers are hurriedly working day and night to see that they have developed some vacant plots. So what we do as an agency is serve them notice to stop work.”
“This morning we came, we saw them working, and that’s why we are removing the structures. The excavations and all those structures put on the ground.”
He disclosed that over 30 foundations had already been dug but insisted they would be covered.
“Whoever we see on site, we remove it. So this is just the beginning. Luckily, they are only at excavation level, but wherever we see any new development coming up, we will remove it,” he warned.
“On claims that Paulo Homes was behind the development.”
Galadima said that the matter would be clarified by the legal secretariat. “From the report submitted from the work of the committee, it’s like, one, there was a development lease agreement that has already expired,” he explained.
According to Galadima, any other illegal building attempts would not be tolerated, disclosing that “over 30 foundations have been excavated,” so we’re going to cover them all.
“Should there be an erection again, then there will be removal again,” he said, as he warned of imminent prosecution.
“That’s why I said the legal secretariat is in the better position to know the next line of action. There could be prosecution. Definitely, we’re expecting that people will cry out. Naturally.”
One of the affected residents who said they were already counting their losses was Pastor Chimdi Obwe, who lives in the adjoining Ciarudi area, said he had been denied access to his home and lost part of his property.
“I was stopped from accessing my house for a long time. Because of these things they are doing here, the exit they gave us, they suddenly blocked it. And you see, my children, how we had to go through that kind of ordeal. My fence was demolished. Now I can’t access our cars; we are all packed out. So that was the problem”, he lamented.
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