The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike has imposed fines on several prominent Nigerians and institutions for illegally converting residential properties into commercial use without due approval.
Each of the affected property owners is to pay a penalty of ₦5 million, with a 30-day deadline to comply or risk tougher sanctions.
The announcement came through a public notice published by the Federal Capital Territory Administration on Monday.
According to the notice, the fines are part of a broader campaign to restore order to Abuja’s urban planning system, which has long been plagued by illegal land use and haphazard development.
Among the high-profile individuals named are Abdullahi Ganduje, former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress and ex-governor of Kano State; Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former governor of Osun State; and two retired Supreme Court justices, Atanda Fatai-Williams and Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, who was also Nigeria’s first female Chief Justice. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited was also listed as a defaulter.
The affected properties are located in some of Abuja’s most expensive and strategic neighborhoods, including Maitama, Asokoro, Wuse II, and Garki.
Many of these areas were originally designated strictly for residential purposes but have increasingly been converted into offices, guest houses, lounges, and other commercial ventures, often without legal approval.
The notice emphasized that the conversions were in violation of Abuja’s master plan, which prescribes strict zoning to maintain order and regulate urban growth.
It read in part: “This is to notify the general public, particularly allottees and title holders of properties, that the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, His Excellency, Barr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, CON, has approved a reviewed land use/purpose clause of properties on the underlisted streets/locations of the Federal Capital City.”
Property owners are expected to pay the ₦5 million fine at the Department of Land Administration, located in Abuja’s Central Business District. Upon payment, they will be issued letters of conveyance, reflecting approval of the conversion.
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They will also be granted new statutory rights of occupancy and updated certificates of occupancy, valid for a fresh 99-year term.
The FCTA clarified that the exercise does not apply to properties whose titles were already revoked for reasons such as non-development, failure to pay ground rent, or other serious infractions.
Instead, the current directive is targeted at regularizing properties that were illegally altered from residential to commercial use.
Since assuming office as FCT minister in 2023, Wike has repeatedly pledged to restore the Abuja master plan, demolishing illegal structures and penalizing violations, despite resistance from influential quarters.
The inclusion of political heavyweights, respected jurists, and even the state-owned oil company reflects Wike’s insistence that “no one is above the law” in the capital city’s urban governance.
With the 30-day ultimatum ticking, property owners now face a crucial decision: comply with the penalties and legalize their properties, or risk facing more severe sanctions, including possible revocation of titles.
