The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has issued a stern warning to owners of hotels, event centres, and other public facilities in Abuja, stating that property titles of those who allow their premises to be used by illegal organisations will be revoked. The announcement, made on Friday through a statement by Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, comes amid heightened political activities as the 2027 general elections approach.
Security Concerns Drive New Directive
The FCTA emphasised that the directive is part of broader efforts to strengthen security in the nation's capital and support ongoing operations by security agencies to protect lives and property. All lands within the Federal Capital Territory are strictly designated for lawful use, and any property used to host gatherings of organisations operating outside the law will face severe sanctions. The statement declared: "Going forward, title documents of any event centre, hotel or public building that is used for the gathering of illegal organisations will be revoked."
Monitoring and Compliance Measures
Hotels, event centres, and similar facilities across the FCT will now be placed under close monitoring to ensure they are not used for activities that could undermine public peace and security. Property owners and operators are urged to thoroughly scrutinise organisations seeking to use their facilities and verify their legality before approving bookings. The FCTA specifically cautioned about the ongoing political season, advising hotel and event centre operators to deal only with leaderships of political parties recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
"For instance, in this political season, owners of event centres and hotels in particular must ensure that they only deal with INEC-recognised leadership of political parties in respect of the use of their facilities, and proper records of transactions must be kept," the statement added. The administration warned that failure to comply would attract sanctions, including revocation of land titles attached to affected properties.
Political Context and Implications
The development underscores growing concerns by the FCTA over the use of public facilities for unauthorised political and group activities in the capital, particularly as political tensions rise ahead of the 2027 elections. The move aims to prevent illegal organisations from exploiting commercial venues for activities that could threaten national security and public order.
