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Wike Says All Land in Abuja Belongs to FCT and Vows to Remove Illegal Buildings
Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has addressed the ongoing land reforms, including the regularization of Area Council land titles.
Wike emphasized that the Supreme Court’s ruling, which states that all land within the capital belongs to the FCT Administration, must be adhered to. He reassured landowners that the FCTA is committed to regularizing current allocations and providing Certificates of Occupancy (C of O).
“The Supreme Court has ruled that all land belongs to the FCT, so there’s no such thing as Area Council land. We’re not canceling allocations but are instead working to regularize them so that landowners can obtain their C of O,” he said during a media briefing in Abuja.
Wike also stressed the importance of timely payment of fees and the development of allocated lands to prevent land speculation and ensure proper use of land.
On the development of the Maitama II District, the Minister confirmed that work would continue and reminded land allotees in the FCT to pay the necessary fees, reiterating that land in Abuja is not free.
Regarding the Abuja masterplan, Wike urged patience, explaining, “The masterplan is meant to preserve the city’s original design.” He emphasized that any illegal developments, like those in Kpaduma, Asokoro, would be dealt with, and illegal structures interfering with road construction would be removed.
The Minister made it clear that he would not hesitate to take down any structure that goes against the Abuja masterplan.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has reportedly declared a strike at Taraba State University over outstanding salary-related demands and delays in payments.
The strike is scheduled to begin today, October 12, 2026. According to the union’s chairman, the union had been engaging the Taraba State Government over its outstanding demands since February 2026.
“The union had exercised considerable patience and demonstrated its commitment to dialogue since February 2026, when it began engaging the Taraba State Government over the outstanding issues,” Mbave said.
“The union had earlier suspended its planned industrial action following an appeal by the government for additional time through the Office of the Head of Civil Service, in the interest of maintaining industrial harmony,” the chairman added.
The Chairman of Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State, Torseer Yina, has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the ancient town.
The curfew takes effect from Thursday, October 8, 2026, following unrest and violent protests in the area.
According to reports, the action was taken to contain the unrest and violent protests by members of BEMOA following the death of one of its members by unknown gunmen.
The protest, which was reportedly hijacked by hoodlums, turned violent after an angry mob burnt two vehicles belonging to the Benue State Civil Protection Guards.
The Gboko council chairman said the curfew takes effect immediately and warned that anyone caught flouting the order or breaching public peace would be decisively dealt with.
Nine people have died in a fatal road crash along the Ijebu-Ode-Benin Expressway in Ogun State.
The crash occurred on Monday at about 4:55pm around the Bethel area along the Ijebu-Ode/Ore axis of the expressway. It involved a white Toyota Hiace commercial bus belonging to Delta Line and a white Sino truck operated by Bill Gas Solution Ltd.
According to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), all nine people involved in the crash, comprising three males and six females, died in the incident.
The FRSC said the crash occurred while it was raining and the road was wet, with preliminary investigations identifying speed violation as the probable cause.
The FRSC rescue team arrived at the scene shortly after receiving the report, while the bodies of the victims were taken to the General Hospital Morgue in Ijebu-Ode.
The Ogun State Sector Commander, Oludare Ogunjobi, urged motorists, especially commercial drivers, to obey speed limits and exercise extra caution when driving in the rain.
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