FCTA Officials Take Responsibility for Confrontation at Disputed Gaduwa Property

By: Ojay Matthew


Officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have taken responsibility for the Tuesday incident at a disputed site on Plot 1946, Gaduwa District, which involved FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and a naval officer, Lt. A.M. Yerima. The event, captured on video and widely shared, showed naval officers blocking the Minister from accessing the property linked to former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo (rtd).

The Director of the FCTA Department of Development Control, Tpl Mukhtar Galadima, described the encounter and issued a formal apology, explaining that the intervention was prompted by concerns over unauthorized development. Galadima said the officers on site initially presented a letter of intent issued in 2007 by the Department of Parks and Recreation, which does not constitute formal approval under the FCT Act of 1976 and the Urban and Regional Planning Law of 1992.

Galadima recounted that while attempting to verify the property’s approval status, the presence of armed men on the site posed a danger, prompting him to call the Minister for on-the-spot assessment. He apologized to Minister Wike and the public for the tense situation, emphasizing that the enforcement action was consistent with urban planning laws.

The Director of Lands Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, clarified that the claimants had no statutory title to the land, relying solely on the 2007 letter of intent, which only allowed management of the designated park site and required submission of technical proposals and development completion within a year—conditions that were never met. Nwankwoeze stressed that in Abuja, building without statutory right of occupancy and proper plan approval is illegal.

Both officials highlighted that their actions were necessary to uphold the rule of law and ensure proper urban planning, while acknowledging the disruption caused to Minister Wike and the public perception of the confrontation. They reiterated that the development at the disputed site remains unauthorized.