FCTA to prosecute 150 land grabbers

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has vowed to prosecute over 150 land grabbers who have illegally acquired 200 hectares of land in Lubge, FCT.

The Acting Director, Development Control Department of the FCT, Garba Kwamkur, disclosed this while speaking to reporters during a demolition exercise in Sabon Lugbe.

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The director, who noted that the exercise was part of efforts to harmonise the entire Lugbe area into the Phase IV of the Abuja Master Plan, said when the process is completed, Lugbe would cease to be a satellite town and would become incorporated into the Federal Capital City.

He said over 150 illegal developers have encroached into areas meant for public facilities in the district, adding that names of the illegal developers, who according to him, have forged title documents, would be forwarded to the commissioner of police for prosecution.

“This area was planned for public facilities such as schools, markets, hospitals and other public utilities, but now land grabbers have encroached into the area and captured all the plots meant for public facilities and are developing them as housing estates, thereby denying space for the necessary amenities that will be needed for the district in the future.

“Over 200 hectares have been encroached upon by criminals with fake and cloned tittle documents. But the 1976 decree that forms Abuja stipulates that any development to be carried out within the confines of the territory needs a government permit from the department of development control before you can undertake any housing project. But I can categorically tell you that none of them approached us for such approvals so that is why we are here to recover these encroached plots.”

He further explained that the department has served them stop work notices, quit notices as spelt out in the 1992 Urban and Regional Planning Law, but they have ignored all the notices and proceeded to develop the plots without building approvals.

Kwamkur had earlier gone to Maitama where he issued a seven-day notice to businesses which have converted residential buildings to commercial purpose to revert to the original purpose or risk revocation.