Land Grab: FCTA Arrests Illegal Developer, Places Others On Watchlist

Officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have arrested an illegal developer for acquiring, building and selling lands and property that contravened the FCT Land Act in the Katampe extension area of the nation’s capital.

The coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Umar Shuaibu, while speaking with journalists yesterday, said the arrest followed the failure of the developer, the managing director of New World Smart Homes, who identified himself as El-Samuel, to consult the Department of Development Control for approval before development.

He described the building and selling of the lands without the consent of the constituted authorities as a high level of illegality being perpetrated by some developers who obtained lands in the federal capital and are using the documents to fraudulently sell unapproved land to people, defrauding them of their money in disguise.

Shuaibu explained that AMMC approved plot 17,543 hectares of plot 3173B19 at Katampe Extension District to the Sahara Developer only, not to any other developer.

The coordinator revealed that its site officers and several inspections showed that the developer had obstinately continued to develop other adjoining lands without the FCTA’s approval.

“The information we gathered from our site officers and several visits to confirm the reports revealed that the developer had obstinately continued to develop other adjoining lands without the FCTA’s approval. When we approached him, they cunningly presented documents of the approved side for the processing of the unapproved side of the area.

“FCT Land Acts does not condone the contravention of its land use. Then the riot laws were read to them but these developers have refused all invitations to bring their original documents, they have deviated from the stipulated building plan approval”

He regretted that when officials of the AMMC approached the alleged fraudulent developer, he presented documents of the approved side for the processing of the unapproved side of the area.

Shuaibu said the metropolitan council had placed more other developers suspected to be involved in illegal development on its watchlist. The suspect has been handed over to the police for further investigation.