By Ismaila Jimoh, Abuja
In a move that could be described as lack of respect to the constituted authority, the developers at Riverpark Estate, Abuja returned to site despite ministerial order stopping it on two different occasions from going ahead with more construction at the site.
FCT Minister,Barr.Nyesom Wike had on August 8, 2025, inaugurated committees to review controversies surrounding the Estate. The committee, in its report, faulted the developers for breaching the Development Lease Agreement (DLA) and recommended that all undeveloped plots in the estate be reverted to the FCTA.
The FCT Administration reacted to this development through the Director, Department of Development Control, Muktar Galadima who led the enforcement team on Wednesday to the site for the second time to ensure adherent to the existing ministerial order stopping the developers.
He confirmed that the developer was fully aware of the ministerial directive, which followed extensive investigations and recommendations by an ad-hoc committee earlier set up by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
“We are here to ensure total compliance with the ministerial directive that no development should be allowed in the River Park Estate,” Galadima told journalists during the exercise.
He explained that the team had carried out similar operations at the location in the past but had to return following reports that the developer had resumed work on site.
“We got a report that there is an ongoing development. That’s why we rushed to ensure that the development is stopped and the structure being put should be removed,” he said.
Galadima noted that the FCTA would no longer rely solely on demolition to enforce compliance, saying the administration was now moving to take legal action against the erring developer.
“Yeah, we’re liaising with our Legal Secretariat to see that this action may be taken up legally so that we don’t come back again,” he explained, warning that “nobody is above government.”
“Maybe there is a perception that he can do as he pleases, but you see, nobody is above government. We have done the kinetic aspect; now we are taking it up legally to ensure that we don’t come back again,” Galadima stated.
