By YINKA KOLAWOLE & MIKE EFFIONG

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) administration has advised the public, particularly civil servants, to make adequate enquiries before buying houses in privately developed estates in the territory.

The advice is coming in the wake of the recent controversial demolition of some houses by the FCTA in the territory.

Dr. Yahaya Yusuf, Director, Development Control Department, FCT, advised civil servants in Abuja to make adequate inquiry before buying houses in private estates.

He said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that some private estate developers were creating the impression that they were building houses for civil servants.

“Some private developers that are into such acts are going about with Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) title documents and building plan backdated to 2004 which are invalid. In 2004, Malam Nasir El- Rufai, the former Minister of FCT, stopped AMAC from allocating land to people, and two years grace was given to those with such documents to put structures on them or their plots would be revoked,” he said.

Yusuf said that in view of the development, civil servants were advised to get clarification from FCT before making payment for offers from private developers.

He cited the case of the estate with massive houses belonging to a private developer in Kyami on Airport Road that was demolished for failing to heed notices served by FCTA for it to stop work on the estate.