On Wednesday, October 8, 2025, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) took decisive action by demolishing a newly erected structure in River Park Estate, Abuja. This move was aimed at enforcing a ministerial directive that halted all development in the estate. The operation, led by Mukhtar Galadima, the Director of the Department of Development Control, marks an escalation in the ongoing conflict over what the FCTA describes as illegal construction in defiance of orders from FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
The conflict arose after an ad-hoc committee, inaugurated by Minister Wike on August 8, 2025, confirmed the revocation of undeveloped plots due to expired or breached Development Lease Agreements. The committee recommended that all vacant plots be reverted to the FCTA, effectively stopping any new construction.
Galadima expressed frustration over the developer’s continued work despite previous enforcement actions that halted the development of over 30 substructures in September. He stated, “We are here to ensure total compliance with the ministerial directive that no development should be allowed in the River Park Estate.”
In a strategic shift, the FCTA announced plans to pursue legal action against the developer to secure a permanent resolution. Galadima emphasized that the developer was fully aware of the ministerial orders and that the FCTA had exhausted kinetic measures. “Nobody is above government,” he asserted, indicating that the administration’s patience had worn thin.
The FCTA’s actions signal a commitment to uphold the Abuja Master Plan and ensure that developments comply with regulatory frameworks.
