The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has unveiled its plan to withdraw and revoke properties sold for residential purposes but converted for other uses.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, Mukhtar Galadima, the FCT Director of Development Control, disclosed that in 2005, the Federal Government initiated a monetization program, eventually selling the houses to occupants for maintenance.
After some time, however, owners converted the houses for purposes other than residential, prompting the FCTA to take action.
Galadima stated that the minister has approved and directed property owners to revert the use of such properties to their original and designated land use, which is residential.
Furthermore, the minister has instructed owners of properties, especially those along major streets, that have undergone unauthorized conversions to either return to the original use or face contravention charges.
Failure to comply with this directive by November 1 will result in the house being considered revoked and returned to the FCTA.
Galadima highlighted that the department has documented over 111 cases of land use conversion concerning the sold houses.
This emphasizes the urgency for compliance to avoid revocation and underscores the consequences of unauthorized repurposing, with owners potentially facing contravention charges for non-compliance.