🔥 The Plot Behind Plot 1946
The Gaduwa confrontation that went viral on X was only the spark. Legal and planning sources told IDNN that a quiet wave of revocations—roughly 30 hectares signed since mid-2024—reshaped parts of Abuja’s greenbelt and set the stage for the minister’s public enforcement drive.
The Guardian Nigeria and Vanguard News both confirmed that the disputed site, Plot 1946 in Gaduwa, was once designated for military cooperative housing before its use was altered.
🧾 Paper Trails and Power Plays
A legal source involved in one of the affected allocations told IDNN:
“Titles issued to serving and retired officers were quietly withdrawn and new Rights of Occupancy issued to private developers and political associates.”
Sahara Reporters first published claims that one new beneficiary was “a senior public official presently heading a national institution,” allegedly referring to INEC Chair Prof. Joash Amupitan. The electoral body has not responded to requests for comment.
⚙️ How the System Works—and Bends
Under the FCT Act, the minister may revoke land for “overriding public interest.” However, urban-law experts say fresh allocations must be ratified by the FCDA Board and gazetted with a clear change of use. Former FCDA Director M.B. Sule told IDNN:
“Revocation isn’t ownership. Until a new allocation passes all levels of review, that land is in legal limbo.”
Planning memos seen by IDNN show Plot 1946 listed as Park and Recreation in 2007 and converted to Multi-Purpose in 2022 — two years before Wike assumed office. Critics say that administrative shift opened the door for discretionary allocations later defended as “recoveries.”
🧭 Where the Dust Settles
- Legal Front: New suits expected at Abuja High Court as cooperatives challenge revocations.
- Military Angle: Veterans’ associations decry what they call “civilian disrespect for uniform titles.”
- Political Optics: Opposition lawmakers demand a public register of all land reallocations since 2023.
- Institutional Response: FCTA Development Control maintains that “no building shall proceed without fresh approval.”
💼 Land as Currency of Power
Analysts say each hectare in Gaduwa is worth ≈ ₦3.8 billion. Thirty hectares approach ₦114 billion in value—enough to fund a state budget. Economist Bisi Ayodele warned that opaque reallocations “distort valuations, spook lenders, and force banks to re-price risk in the FCT corridor.”
⚖️ Due Process and the Minister’s Defence
In a statement shared with Premium Times, Wike’s spokesman Lere Olayinka insisted that “every revocation followed statutory procedure and ministerial approval.” He added that the FCTA “will continue recovering illegally acquired public lands without fear or favour.”
🧩 Expert Voices on the Line
Urban-law scholar Dayo Akinlaja (SAN) told IDNN.news:
“We run a city where documents move slower than bulldozers. Until allocation records are digitised, disputes like Plot 1946 will keep repeating.”
Civil-society advocate Auwal Rafsanjani of CISLAC added:
“Reform by confrontation undermines reform itself.”
Paper Wars and Bulldozer Politics
Abuja’s skyline may rise on concrete, but its power grid is paperwork. Every revocation, every signature, every stamp decides who the city belongs to. The Gaduwa clash was the noise; the files are the story. Until those files are public, the questions keep building..
This is IDNN.news — Independent. Digital. Uncompromising.
