The FCT Administration has stopped the development of more than 30 substructures at the River Park Estate for violating planning regulations.
The administration accused the affected developers of constructing despite the withdrawal of their lease agreement, which ensured the reversal of all undeveloped plots in the estate to the FCTA.
The Director of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, who led enforcement officers to the site on Wednesday, said the action followed reports that developers were working on the site to beat the directive.
He disclosed that over 30 foundations had already been dug by the developers while insisting that they would be covered, and those already erected would be removed.
“About a week ago, there was an event at the Honourable Minister's office where two committees submitted their report. One of the committees was on issues surrounding the River Park estate development," Galadima said.
"And one of the recommendations being forwarded was that all undeveloped plots within the estates be reverted to the FCT Administration.
“So we got a report that certain developers are hurriedly working day and night to see that they have developed some of the vacant plots. So what we did as an agency was we served them notice to stop work.
"This morning we came, we saw them working, then that's why we are removing the structures. The excavations and all those structures were put on the ground.”
The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, inaugurated an ad-hoc committee on August 8 to review the controversies surrounding the River Park Estate.
The Barr. Salman Dako-led committee submitted its reports to the minister last week, explaining that the revocation of the undeveloped plots was necessitated by the expiration and breach of the DLA and the need to reassert administrative control over the affected plot in line with Clause 9.2 of the DLA.
The committee, however, directed that holders of previous "customary" titles whose plots fall within the Riverpark Estate boundaries and who have developed in accordance with applicable planning and development control regulations be permitted to retain their titles.
"This recommendation aligns with the subsisting court judgment referenced in paragraph 16.3," the committee said.
An affected resident, Chimdi Obwe, who lives in the adjoining Ciarudi area, said he had been denied access to his home and lost part of his property.
“I was stopped from accessing my house for a long time. Because of these things they are doing here, the exit they gave us, they suddenly blocked it.
"And you see my children, how we had to go through that kind of detail. My fence was demolished. Now I can't access our cars, and we are all packed out. So that was the problem,” he lamented.
