Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has given his approval for the withdrawal and revocation of houses that were previously sold to individuals.

These houses, which were sold by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), have reportedly been converted to other purposes.

The announcement was made by Mukhtar Galadima, the Director for the Department of Development Control at the FCTA, during a press conference held in Abuja on Friday. Galadima highlighted that in 2005, the Federal Government initiated a monetization program due to the high costs associated with maintaining these houses.

The intention behind selling the houses to the occupants was for them to take responsibility for their maintenance. However, it has been observed that some of the occupants have converted the houses from residential to other uses. This has created a burden for the city’s administration, prompting the current administration to address this issue.

Galadima stated, “On this basis, the minister has approved and directed that all owners of such properties should revert the use of the properties to their original and designated land use, which is residential.” He further added, “Failure to comply with this directive by November 1 will result in the revocation of the property. We are giving individuals until the end of October to revert to the original uses. The minister has also instructed that property owners, particularly those along major streets, who have converted their properties without approval, should either revert to the original use or pay contravention charges.”

Galadima cautioned that those who disregard this warning and fail to follow the directive will face consequences for their actions.