The Authority of the Nigerian Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, on Wednesday halted the development of more than 30 sub-structures at the River Park Estate for violating planning regulations.
The administration accused the affected developers of proceeding with construction despite the withdrawal of their lease agreements and recommendations by a ministerial committee that all undeveloped plots in the estate be reverted to the FCTA.
Recall that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had on August 8, 2025, inaugurated ad-hoc committees to review controversies surrounding the River Park Estate.
The committee, led by Barr. Salman Dako, while submitting its report to the minister last week, explained that the revocation of the undeveloped plots was necessitated by the expiration and breach of the Development Lease Agreement, DLA, and the need to reassert administrative control over the affected plots in line with Clause 9.2 of the DLA.
The committee, however, directed that holders of previous “customary” titles whose plots fall within the River Park 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.”
Meanwhile, the Director of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, who led enforcement officers to the site on Wednesday, said the action followed reports that the developers were working day and night to circumvent the directive.
According to him: “About a week ago, there was an event at the Honourable Minister’s office where two committees submitted their reports. One of the committees was on issues surrounding the River Park Estate development. And one of the recommendations was that all undeveloped plots within the estates be reverted back to FCTA.
“So we got a report that certain developers are hurriedly working day and night to see that they have developed some of the vacant plots. So what we do as an agency, we served them notice to stop work. This morning we came, we saw them working, then that’s why we are removing the structures. The excavations and all those structures put on ground.”
Galadima disclosed that over 30 foundations had already been dug but insisted they would be covered.
He warned that: “Whatever we see on site, we remove it. So this is just the beginning. Luckily, they are just at excavation level, but wherever we see any new development coming up, we will remove it.”
