THE Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has intensified its clampdown on illegal construction at the contentious River Park Estate, Lugbe, halting ongoing development, demolishing more than 30 building substructures, and arresting 15 workers for allegedly defying a subsisting court order and ministerial directive.
News Point Nigeria reports that the latest action follows weeks of tension between the estate developers and the FCT authorities over ownership and development rights within the high-profile estate.
An Abuja High Court had previously ordered all parties to maintain the status quo pending the resolution of disputes surrounding the estate. However, intelligence reports indicated that some developers had been working day and night to rush construction before enforcement operations could commence.
On Wednesday, operatives of the Ministerial Task Force on City Sanitation, led by the Director of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, stormed the estate in a joint operation with security agencies, halting construction and excavating newly dug foundations.
“We got reports that certain developers were hurriedly working day and night to develop some of the vacant plots despite our stop-work notice. This morning, we saw them still working, so we removed the structures and excavated all those foundations,” Galadima stated.
He confirmed that over 30 foundations were destroyed and warned that the agency would continue to revisit the site until full compliance was achieved.
“Whatever we see on site, we remove it. Luckily, they are just at excavation level. But wherever we see any new development coming up, we will remove it again,” he warned.
The crackdown also led to the arrest of 15 workers allegedly engaged by a developer identified as Mr. Paul Odili of Paulo Homes. According to ACP Mohammed Iya, Chief Security Officer to the FCT Minister, the arrests were necessary after the developer allegedly issued threats to FCTA staff and refused to honour multiple invitations.
“The developer was later directed to the IRT where he was detained alongside the 15 workers picked up at the site. He has since been granted administrative bail on health grounds, as he is undergoing major surgery at the National Hospital,” Iya disclosed.
The FCTA confirmed that the case is under investigation and vowed to prosecute violators to serve as a deterrent.
The enforcement action follows the report of a ministerial ad-hoc committee inaugurated by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike in August 2025, chaired by legal practitioner Barr. Salman Dako.
The committee’s findings recommended: revocation of undeveloped plots that had expired or breached the Development Lease Agreement (DLA), reversion of such plots to the FCTA to ensure proper urban planning and adherence to Abuja Master Plan and protection of valid customary title holders who had developed their plots in accordance with regulations, in line with a subsisting court judgment.
Galadima emphasized that the administration’s action was guided by these recommendations and the need to restore order to the estate.
The Director of Development Control reiterated that all construction on revoked plots remains illegal and warned that enforcement will be sustained until full compliance is achieved.
“Even after being asked to leave the site and some excavations were covered, we got reports that work was still ongoing behind the shopping centre. We cleared it again and will continue until there is no more violation,” he said.
River Park Estate, located along Airport Road in Lugbe, has been the subject of prolonged disputes involving developers, plot allottees, and the government.
The FCTA maintains that revocation and reversion are necessary to uphold Abuja’s Master Plan, while some developers argue that they have valid titles and rights to develop.
The FCTA has urged affected parties to seek redress through legal means rather than resort to illegal construction. It has also assured that only plots that violated lease agreements or court orders are being reclaimed.
“This is not a witch-hunt,” Galadima stressed.
“We are simply implementing the recommendations of a legally constituted committee and obeying the Abuja Master Plan.”