At least 15 persons were on Thursday arrested and charged to Court on Friday for going ahead with construction on vacant plots at the River Park Estate, Lugbe, despite the said plots been reverted to the Federal Capital Territory Administration following the withdrawal of their lease agreement.
The suspects, said to be workers of the estate developer, Mr. Paul Odili of Paulo Homes, were taken into custody by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) after enforcement officers stormed the site.
According to the Chief Security Officer, CSO, to the FCT Minister, CSP Mohammed Musa Iya, the incident followed series of confrontations with the developer, Mr Paul Odili, who had vowed not to honour any invites by the FCT Administration.
He disclosed that Mr. Odili was subsequently directed to the IRT where he was later detained alongside 15 workers who were picked up at the site.
Iya said the move had become necessary arrest following his alleged threatens of Staff of the FCT Administration and attacks on personality of the FCT Minister.
“Mr. Paulo was later released on administrative bail, citing that he has major surgery. He is presently admitted at the National Hospital, Abuja and was later moved to Margaret Lawrence University Teaching Hospital.
The matter is under investigation and is being handled by CP Sanusi, Commander IRT,” Iya stated in a message to our correspondent.
Meanwhile, the Director of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, who also confirmed the arrests, said the suspects would be prosecuted in court for violating ministerial directives.
“Even after being asked to leave the site and some of the excavations were covered, on Friday we got a report that they were busy working behind the shopping center. So we came this morning, saw the development, and again cleared the site. We also moved round the estate, marked several new sites, and cleared some of them. We will return on Monday to continue with the operation,” he said.
Galadima explained that all vacant lands in the estate had been reverted to the FCTA following the expiration of the Development Lease Agreement and recommendations of a ministerial committee, but some developers had been working day and night to beat the directive.
Our correspondent had earlier reported that over 30 substructures, including building foundations and perimeter fences, were removed on Wednesday for violating planning regulations and going ahead with construction despite the withdrawal of lease agreements.
Galadima had earlier warned that the administration would not tolerate further violations, stressing that prosecution would follow any fresh attempt to rebuild on the reverted plots.
“Over 30 foundations have been excavated, so we’re going to cover them all. Should there be an erection again, then there’s going to be removal again,” he said.
Recall that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had on August 8, 2025, inaugurated an ad-hoc committees on the review of controversies surrounding the River Park Estate.
The Barr. Salman Dako led committee while submitting its reports to the minister on September 2nd, explained that the revocation of the undeveloped plots was necessitated by the expiration and breach of the Development Lease Agreement, DLA, and the need to reassert administrative control over the affected plot in line with Clause 9.2 of the Development Lease Agreement, DLA.
The committee however directed that holders of previous “customary” titles whose plots fall within the Riverpark Estate boundaries and who have developed in accordance with applicable planning and development control regulations, “be permitted to retain their titles. This recommendation aligns with the subsisting court Judgment referenced in paragraph 16.3.”