The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has ordered the arrest of a property developer and the demolition of buildings allegedly erected illegally on plots originally allocated to diplomatic missions in Abuja.

The directive followed revelations that the plots, located within the Diplomatic Zone in Katampe Extension, were taken over and developed without the approval of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).

According to the FCT Administration, the land was allocated in 2008 to 10 foreign missions for diplomatic residential purposes, as well as to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria for the construction of a 132/133KV power station.

The affected plots were designated for the embassies of Thailand, Bulgaria, Syria, Somalia, Serbia and Montenegro, Japan, Austria, Switzerland, Senegal, and the Palestine Liberation Organization.

However, the Department of Development Control disclosed that a property developer, identified as Alhaji Kabiru Sahara, took over the land and began erecting residential buildings without the required approvals from the FCDA.

Officials said the developer ignored several warnings to stop construction and allegedly continued work on the site.

“He kept erecting residential buildings despite repeated warnings, boasting that nothing would happen,” the department stated.

Reacting to the development, Wike ordered the arrest of the developer and directed relevant authorities to demolish all illegal structures on the land.

The minister reiterated the administration’s commitment to enforcing planning regulations and protecting land reserved for diplomatic use within the FCT.