The Federal Capital Territory Administration says it has concluded plans to sanction owners of 435 abandoned/uncompleted structures.
The administration also said owners of 600 undeveloped plots in the city would be sanctioned.
It stated that the sanctions might include revocation of titles.
These were contained in a statement on Tuesday by the spokesperson, Abuja Geographic Information System and Lands Department, Abubakar Dembo.
He quoted the FCT Director of Land Administration, Adamu Hussaini, as saying the move was necessitated by the security concerns that the abandoned building had become.
The statement was titled, ‘Titles of 435 abandoned buildings in Abuja may be revoked’.
It read in part, “In order to ensure adequate protection of lives and property in and around the 250 square kilometres of the Federal Capital City, Abuja, the FCT Administration may have concluded arrangements to sanction owners of 435 abandoned/uncompleted structures.
“The FCT Director of Land Administration, Adamu Jibrin Hussaini, revealed that the sanction might include revocation of titles.
“The director called on the owners of such abandoned/uncompleted buildings within the city to swiftly work towards the completion of these buildings, saying that such structures had become a source of security breach in the city.
“Hussaini reiterated that this security breach was of great concern to the government and that it would not fold its arms to watch danger in the waiting to explode.
“He said these abandoned/uncompleted buildings had become shelter for unintended occupants as well as other persons with criminal disposition, who use these uncompleted structures as hideouts to perpetuate their nefarious activities against the residents.
“He also disclosed that the same fate might befall owners of about 600 undeveloped plots in the Federal Capital City. He said undeveloped plots had remained an eyesore in Abuja, despite the huge amount of money spent to provide basic infrastructure in the districts.
“Hussaini recalled that the owners of these undeveloped plots scattered around the Abuja metropolis had been warned several times in the past, yet some remained recalcitrant.”
The director also said although there were thousands of uncollected Certificates of Occupancy in the vaults, he noted that the department had given 495 Cs of O to bonafide owners from January to December 2021.
He, however, implored other allottees to come over and pick their certificates as such an act would help lubricate economic activities of the territory.
On the issuance of Rights of Occupancy within the year under review, Hussaini explained that the Land Administration Department released a total of 1,319 titles to the beneficiaries.
Hussaini said the department had witnessed a tremendous increase in the number of fresh applications for land in the FCT during the year under review, noting that 8,010 applied for land between January and December this year.
The director stated that the department released a total of 546 Certified True Copies to allottees in the year under review.
