Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike, has vowed that his administration will intensify action against land grabbers seeking to derail Abuja’s development plans, as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, commissioned newly constructed access roads in Giri District on Monday.
Speaking at the commissioning, Wike described the new Giri roads as a gateway to major investments and stronger protection of government land against illegal encroachment. “This road has helped us to stop the land grabbing by the University. On their own, they grabbed 11,000 hectares — no document, nothing. You see them fencing everywhere, and before you know it, they would have gone to sell our land,” the Minister revealed.
To tackle the situation, Wike disclosed that a review of the disputed area has been ordered to reclaim government land and properly allocate only what is legitimate. “I’ve told the Director of Lands and other relevant agencies to carve out 4,000 hectares and give to the University. The rest will be reallocated because we are going to provide roads here. We cannot allow people to just wake up in the morning, fence everywhere without documents — that is not how we work,” he warned.
Describing the newly opened roads as a catalyst for investment, Wike said the district would soon host key institutions like the EFCC Academy, which is now set to commence full development. “The EFCC will be the first beneficiary. They will start the academy immediately because now they have access roads to move in their equipment. When this comes, you’ll see others move in and develop their own areas too,” he said.
He commended the National Assembly for its backing, which ensured the Giri project was captured in the supplementary budget. “I thank the House Committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives and the Area Councils for their support. We knew the importance of doing it now — otherwise, it would have become a problem,” he said.
Wike also disclosed that internal roads will soon follow, fully opening up the district for residents and investors. “Having created this access road, we’ve directed the Executive Secretary of the FCDA and other relevant agencies to start working on internal roads. Be assured that in the next year, it will be a different story,” he promised.
He praised the contractors, Messrs Levant Construction, for delivering a quality project on time. “I want to commend the management and staff of Levant for keeping to the promise. I’ve visited the site at least six times — each time I’m coming from the airport or city, I stop by. They did a quality job and finished on time,” Wike added.
The Minister assured residents that the FCT Administration remains committed to providing vital infrastructure that encourages meaningful development in new districts. “Most of the problem is when you allocate land without basic facilities, people are not encouraged to develop. We’ll keep doing everything we can to make sure infrastructure comes first,” he said before inviting Speaker Abbas to formally commission the Giri roads on behalf of President Tinubu.
The Giri access roads are part of multiple projects under the Renewed Hope Agenda connecting neglected districts to economic opportunities while tightening the clampdown on illegal land encroachment as Abuja expands.
