The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Thursday demolished an estate comprising 11 storey buildings in the Apo-Dutse area of Abuja for violating building regulations.
The buildings, which featured three- and four-bedroom flats, were constructed directly beneath a high-tension power line and on the route of a proposed bridge in the district, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported.
Director of the Department of Development Control, Mr. Mukhtar Galadima, who supervised the exercise, said the demolition followed the developer’s persistent disregard for safety standards and repeated directives from the FCTA.
He explained that despite several stop-work notices and formal warnings, the developers continued construction in defiance of regulatory orders.
“No fewer than 11 storey buildings made up of three- and four-bedroom flats were on Thursday, demolished in Apo-Dutse, by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
“Mr Mukhtar Galadima, Director, Department of Development Control, FCTA, said the development followed the failure of the developer to abide by building regulations and disregarded for all communications and notices.
“Galadima also said that the demolition of the buildings became imperative in view of the location of the estate. According to him, the estate is not only under a high tension, but also standing in the way of an upcoming bridge planned for the area,” the NAN report read in part.
More insights
Galadima explained that although the developers were initially allocated the plot, the allocation was done in error. The Department of Development Control, he said, declined their building plan application because the site’s proximity to a high-tension line and a stream channel made it unsafe for residential development.
He noted that the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) Engineering Department had earlier informed his office of plans to construct a bridge on the same corridor, leaving no option but to remove the estate to allow for the project.
- The director also disclosed that the developers were offered alternative plots but had not accepted the offer before proceeding with the illegal construction.
- He emphasized that the affected estate would not be eligible for compensation since it lacked the necessary development approval, adding that only properties with valid permits qualify for such consideration when affected by public projects.
Galadima added that the FCTA was considering prosecuting the developers and recovering the cost of demolition as part of the sanctions for breaching the city’s development control regulations.
What you should know
The FCTA has recently intensified enforcement of building and land-use regulations across the nation’s capital. The administration has continued to clear illegal structures and developments that encroach on road corridors, green areas, and safety zones.
- In August 2025, the FCTA demolished more than 1,000 shanties and illegal structures obstructing a major road corridor in Karsana, near the Bunkoro District of Gwarinpa.
- The operation, led by the Department of Development Control, targeted illegal squatters and individuals of questionable character, while deliberately sparing indigenous homes.
The renewed enforcement drive reflects the administration’s broader effort to restore Abuja’s master plan and ensure that developments within the city conform to approved safety and planning standards.
