The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has demolished about 30 structures at River Park Estate, located along the Umar Musa Yar’Adua Expressway in Abuja, as part of its ongoing enforcement of land-use regulations.
The demolition exercise, carried out on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, by the Development Control Department, targeted structures erected overnight on plots the FCTA had earlier repossessed following the expiration of their lease agreements.
Director of the Department, Town Planner Mukhtar Galadima, told journalists that the reclaimed plots had legally reverted to the government and were no longer available for private development. He disclosed that the decision was based on recommendations by a ministerial committee established to investigate land disputes at River Park Estate. The committee’s findings, he said, were duly approved by the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike.
“Some developers attempted to undermine the directive by resuming construction under the cover of night. These activities were in clear violation of the Administration’s order, hence the enforcement you see today,” Galadima explained.
The Director reiterated that the FCT Administration remains committed to due process, stressing that only those with valid and subsisting titles would be allowed to develop land in the territory.
The demolition comes amid renewed efforts by the FCT Administration to address land racketeering, reclaim undeveloped plots, and ensure compliance with Abuja’s Master Plan. The Minister of the FCT, Barr. Wike, has in recent months vowed to clamp down on illegal developments and recover government land for proper use.
Residents of the estate expressed mixed reactions to the exercise. While some decried the sudden demolition and its impact on affected developers, others welcomed the move as necessary to restore order in land administration and discourage what they described as “land grabbing through the backdoor.”
The FCTA has warned that similar enforcement actions will continue across the Federal Capital Territory, urging property developers and landowners to adhere strictly to approved guidelines to avoid losses.
