15 arrested for illegal construction at River park estate

At least 15 persons were arrested on Thursday and charged to court on Friday for continuing construction on vacant plots at the River Park Estate, Lugbe, despite the fact that the plots had been reverted to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) following the withdrawal of their lease agreement.

The suspects, said to be workers of the estate developer, Mr. Paul Odili of Paulo Homes, were taken into custody by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) after enforcement officers stormed the site.

According to the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the FCT Minister, ACP Mohammed Iya, the incident followed a series of confrontations with the developer, Mr. Odili, who had vowed not to honour any invitation by the FCT Administration.

He disclosed that Mr. Odili was subsequently directed to the IRT, where he was later detained alongside 15 workers picked up at the site.

Iya said the arrest became necessary following Odili’s alleged threats to staff of the FCT Administration and his attacks on the personality of the FCT Minister.

“Mr. Paulo was later released on administrative bail, citing that he has a major surgery. He is presently admitted at the National Hospital, Abuja. The matter is under investigation and is being handled by CP Sanusi, Commander, IRT,” Iya stated in a message to our correspondent.

Meanwhile, the Director of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, who also confirmed the arrests, said the suspects would be prosecuted in court for violating ministerial directives.

“Even after being asked to leave the site and some of the excavations were covered, on Friday we got a report that they were busy working behind the shopping centre. So we came this morning, saw the development, and again cleared the site. We also moved round the estate, marked several new sites, and cleared some of them. We will return on Monday to continue with the operation,” he said.

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Galadima explained that all vacant lands in the estate had been reverted to the FCTA following the expiration of the Development Lease Agreement and the recommendations of a ministerial committee. However, some developers had been working day and night to beat the directive.

Our correspondent had earlier reported that over 30 substructures, including building foundations and perimeter fences, were removed on Wednesday for violating planning regulations and continuing construction despite the withdrawal of lease agreements.

Galadima had earlier warned that the administration would not tolerate further violations, stressing that prosecution would follow any fresh attempt to rebuild on the reverted plots. “Over 30 foundations have been excavated, so we’re going to cover them all. Should there be an erection again, then there’s going to be removal again,” he said.

Recall that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had on August 8, 2025, inaugurated an ad hoc committee to review the controversies surrounding the River Park Estate.

The committee, led by Barr. Salman Dako, while submitting its report to the minister on September 2, explained that the revocation of the undeveloped plots was necessitated by the expiration and breach of the Development Lease Agreement (DLA) and the need to reassert administrative control over the affected plots in line with Clause 9.2 of the DLA.

The committee, however, directed that holders of previous “customary” titles whose plots fall within the River Park Estate boundaries and who have developed in accordance with applicable planning and development control regulations “be permitted to retain their titles.” This recommendation aligns with the subsisting court judgment referenced in paragraph 16.3.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE