By Emiola Osifeso
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has imposed fresh sanctions on land title holders and property owners who violated provisions of the Land Use Act in Abuja.
Wike approved a fine of N5 million, payable within 30 days, for allottees and landowners who contravened existing land regulations. He also assented to the introduction of a 7.5 per cent fee on the Assessed Capital Value of any property converted to new uses without the express approval of the FCT Administration, also payable within 30 days.
The minister gave the approval on Tuesday while receiving the report of the committee set up to investigate widespread abuse of the Land Use Act across the FCT. Wike had inaugurated the committees on August 8, 2025, stressing that land abuse was a critical issue that required urgent reforms to restore order and transparency in the administration of land matters.
Presenting the report, Chairman of the Land Use and Purposes Clause Committee and Director of Development Control, Muktar Galadima, said the committee discovered several cases of illegal land conversions along Ademola Adetokunbo Street, Aminu Kano Crescent, Yakubu Gowon Street, Gana Street, and other parts of the city.
According to him, properties originally approved for specific purposes had been converted to residential, commercial, or mixed-use without approval, in clear violation of the law. He disclosed that the total capital value of the affected properties stood at N1.037 trillion, recommending sanctions for defaulting title holders, ranging from sealing of properties, demolition of illegal structures, to outright revocation of titles if fines were not paid.
“The committee hereby recommends that allottees and title holders of affected lands and properties pay, within thirty (30) days from the date of conveyance of approval, a Land Use Conversion fee of 7.5 per cent of the assessed capital value of the properties as contained in the schedule/valuation report sheet,” Galadima said.
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