THE Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, on Sunday, bemoaned the illegal activities of touts and advised the public to desist from the transaction on plots of land allocated by the Area Councils until title regularization process was concluded.
The minister’s message was delivered by the Permanent Secretary and Chairman, FCT Land Use and Allocation Committee (LUAC), Mr Chinyeaka Christian Ohaa during the meeting of the committee in Abuja,
He said the action became necessary to reduce the knotty cases of illegal land activities being perpetuated at the Area Councils of the territory and thereby defrauding unsuspected members of the public.
According to him: “The confirmation of titles of the Area Councils can only be conducted after completion of the ongoing Area Councils’ title regularization exercise, and therefore the general public is hereby advised to desist from transacting on the said titles until the conclusion of the regularization exercise.”
He remarked that by the virtue of Section 297 (2) of the 1999 Constitution as amended and Sections 18 & 1 (3) of the FCT Act respectively has absolutely vested the entire 8, 000 square kilometers of the land in the FCT to the Federal Government, and was being managed by the FCT minister under a delegated responsibility.
“The administration has observed that with the recall of Area Councils’ Zonal Land Managers and Zonal Planning Officers back to the mainstream, as well as the suspension of Land allocation by the six Area Councils of the Territory, the illegal activities still persist.” He added.
He recalled that the FCT administration in 2006 had directed the Area Councils to discontinue allocation of land and requested that they update and forward their records of allocations to AGIS for the commencement of the title regularization for thorough cleaning and validation.
He, however, regretted that the administration has spotted some illegal allocation papers being backdated by fraudulent ex-FCT officials and ex-Land officers at the Area Councils; fake letters of allocations and Certificates of Occupancy in circulation as well as Farmers, Village Heads, Community Heads selling land in the Area Councils, thereby duping unsuspecting members of the public.
He warned the general public to be wary of these illegal activities by fraudulent people; reiterating that all lands in the entire Federal Capital Territory is vested in the FCTA and can only be accessed through application to the Hon. Minister.
He used the opportunity to announce that the FCT Administration has several thousands of Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) as well as Rights of Occupancy (R of O) for Federal Capital City (FCC) titles unclaimed in the Department of Lands Administration and therefore, called on the beneficiaries to come forward with necessary documents for collection.
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