The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), led by Minister Nyesom Wike, has warned owners of event centres, hotels and other public facilities in Abuja against allowing their premises to be used by what it described as illegal organisations or unrecognised political groups.
The administration said any facility found hosting such gatherings could face severe sanctions, including the revocation of its title documents.
The warning was contained in a statement issued on Friday by Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Public Communications and Social Media.
According to the statement, the directive is part of broader efforts to improve security across the Federal Capital Territory and support ongoing operations by security agencies.
“In view of the need to further ensure the security of lives and properties in the FCT and sustain the efforts of security agencies in this regard, usage of event centres, hotels and other public buildings will now be closely monitored,” the statement said.
The administration explained that the move is aimed at preventing public facilities from being used by organisations whose activities could threaten peace and public order in Abuja.
Facility owners were urged to carefully verify the identity and legality of groups seeking to rent their premises and to understand the purpose of any gathering before granting approval.
The FCTA placed particular emphasis on the current political season, warning event centre and hotel operators to deal only with political party leadership 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.
It warned that failure to comply with the directive could attract penalties, including the withdrawal of title documents for affected properties.
The administration also stressed that land allocated within the FCT is intended strictly for lawful activities and should not be used for gatherings deemed illegal or capable of disturbing public peace.
