•Nyesom Wike
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has ordered the arrest of a developer and the demolition of buildings illegally constructed on plots allocated to foreign missions in the diplomatic zone of Katampe Extension, Abuja.
The affected land, located in the Diplomatic Zone of Katampe Extension in the FCT, was originally allocated on March 18, 2008, to 10 embassies for diplomatic residential purposes, reports Daily.
A portion of the land was also reserved for the Power Holding Company of Nigeria for a 132/133KV power station.
Speaking with journalists during an inspection tour of projects in Abuja, Wike said the FCT Administration discovered that an individual had illegally taken over the land and erected buildings without approval from the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).
He said the Department of Development Control had been directed to remove all illegal structures on the site.
“This land was allocated to various embassies. Somebody just came here, took over the land and started developing it without approval from the FCDA. We cannot allow this kind of land invasion to continue,” he said.
According to the minister, the plots were allocated to diplomatic missions including those of Thailand, Bulgaria, Syria, Somalia, Serbia and Montenegro, Japan, Austria, Switzerland, Senegal and the Palestine Liberation Organisation.
He added that the FCT Administration had begun notifying the missions to take possession of their allocated plots.
Wike also confirmed that the suspected developer, Alhaji Kabiru Sahara, had been arrested and would be prosecuted after ongoing police investigations.
“The man has been arrested and he will be charged to court. The police are carrying out their investigations and he will be charged to court any moment from now,” he said.
The minister spoke after inspecting several ongoing infrastructure projects across Abuja, including the redesigned Abuja City Gate, the road from Bill Clinton Drive at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport to the Tunga Madaki community, which will now be extended to Zuba, the road linking Baze University, the Body of Benchers, Nile University and the Wupa Light Rail Station in the Idu area of Abuja, as well as the Office Annex for the Body of Benchers.
