HoR to probe land allocation, titles in the FCT

…urges FCT Minister to withdraw disputed allocated lands

By Tom Okpe

The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate alleged fraudulent allocation of title documents to some real estate developers before the arrival of Nyesom Ezenwo Wike as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

The House also urged the FCT Minister to withdraw allocation of lands, subject to litigations or multiple allocations, pending resolution of the matter.

These resolution followed adoption of a motion of urgent public importance, moved by Rep Jonathan Gbefwi, SDP, Nasarawa State, at plenary on Thursday.

Moving the motion, Gbefwi noted that before the appointment of Wike by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in August 2023, several title land documents in the FCT were issued to some real estate developers in suspicious manner.

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He wondered if the Director of Lands or any official of the Federal Capital Territory Development Administration, who issued the Right of Occupancy, purportedly in the name of the Minister of FCT at the period when the office of the Minister was vacant, have the legal right or authority to do so.

The lawmaker expressed concern that some of the lands affected were subject to litigations which were yet to be resolved.

“We are convinced that if the title document of any land is fraudulently issued or procured, whatever is built on it should not stand in the interest of the public.

“We are also, disturbed that some of the beneficiaries of these alleged fraudulent allocations are already using them to forcibly, grab disputed lands, which is a recipe for conflicts,” he said.

Adopting the motion, the House mandated the Committee on FCT to investigate all allocations of land in the name of the Minister of FCT Abuja, given within the period of January to August 2023 and report back to the House in four weeks.