By Daniel Tyokua
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has alerted residents on activities of land racketeering and unapproved development of estates in the territory.
Director, Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS), Dr Isa Jalo, encouraged people to always carry out due diligence on land titles especially those advertised on social media, in order to ascertain their authenticity, before they decide to transact.
This is at the instance of the arrest of seven suspected estate developers allegedly involved in illegal developments and land grabbing in Guzape II, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).
Jalo, who told Journalists that despite several awareness campaign against the menace, some members of the public are still very gullible to land grabbers, who put up advertorials on social media and other platforms in the city.
He particularly noted that people are supposed to visit the FCT Department of Land administration, which will check any land title record on the AGIS database, to ascertain whether it exists or not, before they do the transaction.
The Director added that even those with authentic land titles, cannot start development without obtaining approval from the FCT Department of Development Control and other relevant agencies.
“You just see somebody advertising on the social media or somewhere in the papers, and you just decide to patronise and buy land; you don’t do that, as you are supposed to come to Department of Land administration, which will check your record on the AGIS database, to ascertain whether it exists or not, before you do the transaction.
“One thing is for sure, most of the public are aware of the fact that AGIS is where the official records of land administration are kept, as all departments submit their data. And you cannot go and start development without having a title from the official record, which is one very illegal act.
“Even if you have an AMAC title, by virtue of the Supreme Court judgement, all titles in the FCT belongs to the Federal Government, so you cannot claim that because you have an AMAC title, then you go ahead to start development. You cannot even start development without the FCT Development Control Department’s approval”
Recall that the Minister of FCT Malam Muhammad Bello, had in 2021 commissioned the Accelerated Area Council Sectional Title Re-Issuance Scheme (AACSTRIS) and AGIS Data Centre, for the regularisation of the Area Council land titles from customary to statutory.
