Wike Expunges 485 Forged Abuja Titles From AGIS Database

ABUJA — The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has approved the immediate nullification of 485 Area Council land documents. This decisive action follows a comprehensive verification exercise that exposed widespread forgery and administrative irregularities within the capital’s land database. The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) confirmed that these specific applications failed critical authenticity tests during the ongoing regularization process. Consequently, the Departments of Land Administration and the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) have expunged the affected files. This move targets the systemic fraud involving syndicated signatures and inaccurate survey plans that have long plagued Abuja’s satellite towns. While it is true that many titles date back decades, the Minister insists on total statutory compliance.

The purge impacts several high-density districts and strategic layouts across the Territory’s most active property corridors. In the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), the cancellation hits layouts like Sabon Lugbe and Lugbe I Extension. Furthermore, affected documents include commercial and residential titles in Kurudu-Jikwoyi, Karu Village Extension, and Nyanya Phase IV. In a related development, the Bwari Area Council saw titles nullified in the Ushafa Village Expansion and Dawaki Extension. Similarly, the Kuje Area Council’s Kuchiyako One layout suffered significant document revocations under the new ministerial directive. Indeed, the FCTA warns that this publication is without prejudice to further notices regarding other suspicious land holdings.

Notably, the administration has struggled for years with double allocations and unauthorized titles issued by local councils. Under the Land Use Act of 1978, land in the FCT remains vested in the Federal Government. Specifically, only the FCT Minister possesses the constitutional authority to grant Statutory Rights of Occupancy or Certificates of Occupancy. Granted, many residents previously relied on Area Council allocations without seeking the necessary ministerial regularization via AGIS. Significantly, however, this latest intervention specifically addresses “fake” documents rather than mere defaults on ground rent payments. For this reason, the FCTA has intensified its audit of tens of thousands of submissions dating back to 2006.

Previously, the administration issued a 60-day grace period for landholders to settle outstanding fees and verify documentation. Although some complied, a small fraction of the total submissions passed the rigorous internal vetting process. Above all, the Minister seeks to eliminate land speculation and the organized fraud syndicates operating within the territory. Subsequently, the FCTA may initiate criminal proceedings against individuals found to have knowingly submitted forged survey plans or signatures. Therefore, the administration advises the general public to conduct thorough due diligence at AGIS before finalizing any property transactions.

Finally, the FCTA Department of Land Administration will continue to publish names and file numbers of invalidated applications. As a result of this purge, the market value of verified, regularized titles is expected to rise significantly.