FCTA demolishes multimillion naira Abuja duplex

On Monday, the Federal Capital Territory Administration carried out the demolition of a multimillion-naira duplex. This property was situated at Plot 226 Cadastral Zone, A02 Wuse 1, in the Wuse Zone 6 District. The reason for this demolition was that the duplex had been constructed on a plot of land that had not received official approval.

Mukhtar Galadima, the Director of the Department of Development Control, held a press briefing in Abuja on Monday to provide insight into the situation. He disclosed that the structure was purportedly linked to the late Alake of Egba Land, Oba Oye Lipede. However, it had been taken over by Ibrahim Kamba and Ademu Teku, who ignored all warnings and went ahead to construct the duplex.

Galadima explained that his team had undertaken a thorough investigation to establish the true owner of the land plot due to conflicting claims from the involved parties. He emphasized that once rules and regulations governing development are violated, the FCTA does not consider the developer’s status.

He stated, “We initiated the demolition of the duplex because an individual erected a structure without the proper title and building plan approval on land that did not belong to them. Our investigation revealed that the developer did not hold rightful ownership of the plot, which is why we took the step to dismantle the building.”

“We allowed the construction to progress to its current stage prior to carrying out the demolition in order to meticulously follow all procedural requirements. Despite receiving numerous notices to cease construction, the developer displayed persistent noncompliance by continuing work unabated,” Galadima continued.

He further elaborated, “After completing our investigation, we verified the original allottee of the land, which led us to remove the structure. We will be seeking guidance from the legal department to determine the appropriate course of action against the developer.”