The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has directed the immediate demolition of more than 10 duplexes illegally constructed on a designated green area in Wumba District, near Apo, Abuja. The order was issued following a joint inspection by FCTA officials on Thursday.
According to Mr. Felix Obuah, the FCTA Coordinator, the structures were built without the necessary approvals and in violation of the Abuja Master Plan. Despite previous warnings and markings to halt construction, the developer proceeded with the project, prompting the FCTA to take decisive action.
“We invited the developer to provide legal documents for the activities he’s carrying out, but there was no paper, no approval, no allocation,” Obuah stated. “So, all these properties that you are seeing here are all going down.”
Mr. Mukhtar Galadima, Director of the Department of Development Control, emphasized that the developer had no authorization from any authority. “We didn’t give the developer any approval, and when you look around, you would see the evidence that we had marked these structures at different stages of development,” he said.
The FCTA has warned that it will not tolerate any development that contravenes the provisions of the Abuja Master Plan and has pledged to continue enforcing building regulations across the territory.
The FCTA’s action has been supported by environmental experts who warn of the negative impacts of such unauthorized developments. Mr. Chidemelu Echee, Director of Parks and Recreation, expressed concern over the destruction of natural ecosystems. “It is very unfortunate that people will come into a place like this and start a random destruction of the natural ecosystem without any authorization,” he said.
Mr. Osilama Braimah, Director of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, highlighted the environmental risks associated with the proliferation of concrete buildings. “When concrete covers everything, it prevents percolation, leading to increased flooding downstream,” he explained. “To mitigate this, we must preserve green areas to facilitate percolation, groundwater recharge, and maintain healthy boreholes and wells.”
The FCTA’s demolition order serves as a stern reminder to developers and property buyers in Abuja to adhere to building regulations and respect designated green spaces to ensure the city’s sustainable development.
