The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has approved the nullification of 485 Area Council land documents in Abuja after official verification processes confirmed that several of the applications were fake and failed authenticity checks.
The decision was conveyed through a public notice issued by the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s Departments of Land Administration and the Abuja Geographic Information Systems, warning affected applicants and the general public to take note of the development.
According to the notice, the minister approved the cancellation of applications that “failed the necessary official checks for genuineness and have been confirmed to be fake.” The statement further explained that the nullified applications would be removed from the regularisation database maintained by the FCTA Departments of Land Administration and the Abuja Geographic Information Systems.
The publication, which lists affected applicants by name, file number, layout and area council, emphasised that the action reflects the minister’s approval and serves as a formal warning to holders of the affected documents.
“This is to inform the general public, particularly applicants who submitted Area Council land documents for regularisation, that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory has approved the nullification or cancellation of applications that failed the necessary official checks for genuineness and have been confirmed to be fake,” the notice read.
The publication also stated that it is “without prejudice to further notices and/or publications.”
The affected documents span multiple districts and satellite towns across the Federal Capital Territory. In Bwari Area Council, impacted layouts include Ushafa Village Expansion Scheme, Ushafa Extension and Dawaki Extension 1. Within the Abuja Municipal Area Council, the cancelled documents cover Kurudu-Jikwoyi Relocation, Kurudu Commercial, Karu Village Extension, Nyanya Phase IV Extension, Jikwoyi Residential, Sabon Lugbe and Lugbe I Extension. In Kuje Area Council, the affected layout is Kuchiyako One.
Land administration in the Federal Capital Territory is governed by the Land Use Act of 1978, under which all land is vested in the Federal Government. In Abuja, titles such as Statutory Right of Occupancy or Certificate of Occupancy must be issued under the authority of the FCT Minister and formally documented through the Abuja Geographic Information Systems.
The action follows longstanding challenges within the FCT land administration system, including fake or forged land titles, double allocations, Area Council allocations not properly authorised or regularised under FCT law, and land speculation linked to organised fraud involving forged signatures, certificates and inaccurate survey plans.
Earlier in 2025, the Federal Capital Territory Administration intensified its verification and regularisation exercise for Area Council land documents, noting that only a small fraction had been successfully vetted from tens of thousands of submissions dating back to 2006. The administration issued a 60-day deadline and multiple public notices directing landholders to complete payments, submit required documentation and comply with statutory procedures, warning that failure to do so could result in invalidation of offers or revocation of titles.
Other enforcement measures implemented during the period included the revocation of thousands of property titles in Abuja over unpaid ground rent, Certificate of Occupancy fees, violation charges and land use conversion fees, with enforcement actions commencing after the expiration of final grace periods.
However, the latest decision to nullify 485 Area Council land documents is specifically linked to confirmed forgery and lack of genuineness rather than issues related to non-payment or failure to develop allocated land.
