The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has ordered the revocation of 762 plots of land in the nation’s capital.
The revoked land belongs to high-profile individuals and corporate organisations.
According to public notices issued by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Thursday, the affected groups failed to pay their certificates of occupancy (C-of-O) for the confiscated plots.
The minister also threatened to withdraw the rights of occupancy (R-of-O) of 614 other individuals and companies if they failed to pay outstanding bills for their plots within two weeks.
It was gathered that the affected plots are located in the highbrow Maitama district of Abuja.
The confiscations come two weeks after the FCTA published a list of alleged land title debtors.
Defaulters were given two weeks from November 26 to pay for their C-of-O.
The notice stated that the Federal Capital Territory Administration told the allottees and title holders of plots of land in Maitama 1 who have failed to make payment for their C-of-O bills after the expiration of grace period granted by Wike that their Right of Occupancy to the land/property have been withdrawn.
It disclosed that Wike derived such revocation power through the provisions of Section 28 of the Land Use Act of 1978.
The notice claimed that the affected individuals contravened the terms of grant which obligated them to settle all bills.
A Trust Foundation owned by former President Muhammadu Buhari, Walter Onnoghen, former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN); Abbas Tajudeen, speaker of the House of Representatives; George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Regina, his wife; and Uba Sani, governor of Kaduna were among those whose C-of-O were revoked.
Others are former and serving lawmakers on the list include Tahir Monguno, senate chief whip; Chibudom Nwuche, former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives; Teslim Folarin, former senate leader; Nnenna Ukeje, former House of Representatives member; Andy Uba and Smart Adeyemi, both former senators.
However, Sam Egwu, former Ebonyi governor; Stella Oduah, former minister of aviation; and Dennis Idahosa, incumbent deputy governor of Edo, were among those threatened with revocation.
Wike had threatened to revoke the land and stressed that “heaven won’t fall.”
