The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has disclosed plans to investigate some of its own officials over alleged collusion with developers to illegally encroach on green spaces across Abuja.
According to town planning experts and officials within the FCTA, these encroachments are contributing to the continued distortion of the capital city’s original master plan. The green areas—intended for recreation, ecological balance, and urban aesthetics—are reportedly being taken over by construction projects in violation of planning regulations.
These green zones, which include parks, gardens, and community green belts, serve not only as recreational spaces but also as crucial environmental buffers. However, recent developments show a growing trend of land misuse, with reports pointing to construction on lands reserved for drainage systems, sewage routes, and high-voltage power lines.
The Coordinator of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Chief Felix Obuah, confirmed during a recent inspection tour of Guzape District that internal investigations would be launched to identify officials who may have facilitated or ignored these infractions. He assured that anyone found guilty would be sanctioned in line with civil service rules.
While Chief Obuah stopped short of naming specific individuals, he stressed that accountability would be enforced to preserve the integrity of the city’s planning framework.
An earlier investigation by The Weekend Trust revealed how protected green areas have increasingly come under threat, with some developers reportedly erecting buildings on them without proper authorization. Several sources within the FCTA believe such illegal reallocations and sales of land to private interests could not have occurred without the complicity of certain government personnel.
Observers say the scale of abuse appears to have intensified under the current administration, with allegations that some green plots have been quietly reassigned to politically connected individuals and speculators.
Stakeholders are now calling for urgent reforms and stricter enforcement of Abuja’s master plan to safeguard its green heritage and maintain the city’s environmental sustainability.
