Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has approved restrictions on the operations of commercial motorcycles and tricycles in parts of Abuja following growing security concerns.
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike announced the decision during his routine media parley at his official residence in Life Camp, Abuja.
He said the FCT Security Council recommended the restrictions after concluding that commercial motorcycles, popularly known as Okada, and tricycles (Keke Napep) had become a security threat beyond constituting a public nuisance.
Wike disclosed that he had signed the approval earlier in the week and directed security agencies to identify areas, particularly within the city centre, where the vehicles would no longer be allowed to operate.
He, however, acknowledged that enforcing a total ban across the Federal Capital Territory would be difficult.
He said security agencies had also been instructed to intensify efforts to dismantle illegal settlements, including the Karmajiji community in Kukwaba District, while appealing to residents for patience as enforcement is gradually extended to more districts.
On the issue of illegal car racing in residential neighbourhoods, the minister said the FCTA had set up a committee to address the problem, stressing that the administration would not tolerate activities that endanger the lives of residents.
Providing updates on other projects, Wike said basic infrastructure at the permanent relocation site for Apo Mechanic Traders in Wasa District had been completed.
He added that the administration was finalising a Memorandum of Understanding with the traders’ associations to ensure government control of the land before Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) are issued, expressing optimism that the process would be concluded before the end of 2026.
The minister also urged residents and property owners in satellite towns who acquired land through Area Councils to regularise their titles, citing a Supreme Court ruling that places land administration in the FCT under the authority of the FCTA.
According to him, between 5,000 and 6,000 land title regularisations had already been approved, noting that a similar arrangement enabled property owners in River Park Estate to obtain their Certificates of Occupancy after resolving disputes involving expired leases and developers.
Wike highlighted the recently commissioned Abuja City Gate project and ongoing rural water expansion initiatives as part of the administration’s infrastructure drive. He also disclosed plans to partner with private investors to redevelop the abandoned Life Camp Recreation Centre and Jabi Lake Recreational Park, warning that any new developer who fails to meet agreed timelines would forfeit the land to the government.
He reaffirmed the FCTA’s policy of ensuring funds are available before awarding new contracts to prevent abandoned projects, while noting that major projects such as the Millennium Tower would require direct funding from the Federal Government.
The minister further urged residents to fulfil their tax obligations, saying increased revenue would support the administration’s infrastructure development programme.
