FCTA demolishes 11 illegal duplexes in Abuja after developer ignored stop-work orders on buildings under power lines and stream channels

FCTA demolishes illegal duplexes in the Dutse District of Abuja for violating planning and safety regulations.

Also read: Lagos State demolishes illegal buildings at trade fair

The Federal Capital Territory Administration said the 11 duplexes were built directly under high-tension power lines and along a stream channel.

The Director of the Department of Development Control, Muktar Galadima, led the demolition on Thursday and confirmed that the developer ignored multiple stop-work notices issued at various stages of construction.

“This is Garba Duba Street in the Dutse District, Phase Two of the Federal Capital City, near Cedarcrest and Amina Court,” Galadima said.

“The plot was statutorily allocated, but we declined building plan approval because it sits under a high-tension line and within a stream corridor. Despite our warnings, the developer went ahead.”

According to him, the FCTA served several notices from the excavation stage but the developer continued building, assuming their institutional status would shield them from enforcement.

The decision to demolish came after the FCTA’s engineering department reported that the developer intended to construct bridges in the area, which would have further violated the city’s master plan.

Galadima, however, noted that since the land was officially allocated, the administration might consider giving the developer an alternative plot elsewhere.

He stressed that the FCTA would no longer tolerate defiance of its stop-work orders. “Once a notice is served, stop immediately.

If you continue, we’ll let you waste your money and then bring the structure down. Respect the law and seek clarification before proceeding,” he said.

He also revealed that the FCTA was considering a new policy that would compel owners of demolished illegal structures to pay fines, rather than being compensated.

“No compensation will be given in this case,” he added. “Compensation only applies to approved structures affected by development. These ones had no approval and ignored all notices, so there’s nothing to pay for.”

Also read: Edo Governor demolishes land grabbers’ structures

The FCTA Demolishes Illegal Duplexes operation serves as a stern warning to developers across Abuja to comply with building regulations, as the administration intensifies efforts to safeguard the city’s urban integrity and public safety.