By Olawale Lamina
The Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA’s Department of Development Control, declared that it has reclaimed more than 100 hectares of land in Gosa District of the FCT, after pulling down some illegal structures still under construction, while apprehending eight land grabbers.
Speaking on the development, the director of the department, Mukhtar Galadima, noted that the perpetrators involved in illegal land grabbing activities were apprehended with the joint collaboration of the EFCC, ICPC, and the Nigeria Police.
The director, Development Control, underscored the importance of eliminating land grabbing activities to shield unsuspecting Nigerians from purchasing properties acquired through deceitful means.
Galadima iterated the FCTA’s commitment to addressing such incidents, while recalling similar actions taken near the Train Station last year.
The director stated that the reclaimed land, allocated to a corporate entity for housing estates, was illegally fenced off by encroachers.
He expressed the confidence that all illegal fences would be removed to prevent further encroachment.
He called on prospective land buyers in the FCTA to conduct due diligence by verifying land allocations with relevant government agencies, including the Department of Lands Administration, Development Control, and Urban and Regional Planning, even as he outlined ongoing efforts to monitor the environment regularly, focusing more on Gosa District’s development designated by Urban and Regional Planning.
The secretary of Command and Control at FCTA, Peter Olumuji, criticized land grabbing activities as criminal act, including falsification of documents and violent confrontations with authorities.
The secretary informed that the eight perpetrators arrested during the operation would be made to face legal actions.
The CEO of Ivory Shelters Nigeria Limited, Hamza Adamu, in his remark confirmed the legitimate allocation of the land for mixed-use development, including commercial and residential purposes.
Adamu applauded ongoing infrastructure development and security measures, emphasising affordability and client protection.
But, he condemned illegal occupants as land grabbers and reassured buyers of property within the allocated property of safety, thereby projecting a five-year completion timeframe for the project ,that will result in the provision of a low-cost housing estate affordable to all.
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