The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has revealed plans to establish Zonal offices to curb the indiscriminate sale of land by local chiefs in the territory.

The Mandate Secretary, Area Service Council Secretariat, Ibrahim Dantsoho, made the disclosure on Sunday in Abuja.

Mr Dantsoho stated that FCTA had stopped all 17 Graded Chiefs in the territory and others from the sale of any portion of the land within the FCT.

He said that it was only the FCT minister that had the right to allocate or revoke any land.

Mr Dantsoho said: “The FCT Administration is perfecting plans to establish zonal offices to curtail racketeering and indiscriminate sales and purchase of land in FCT.

“FCTA is on top of the situation as some of the chiefs had been relieved of their titles  and others suspended because of the act.

“So, I am telling you that the administration is not taking this lightly, we don’t encourage this and there is a severe punishment for anyone found wanting.

“Anyone indicted must face the law and at the end, he will stand to lose whatever he is proud of as a village chief in the community.”

On the security situation in the territory, the mandate secretary said that the cases of insecurity in the territory had reduced due to collaborations with security agencies.

He added that drones were being deployed in strategic locations to beef security in the territory.

Mr Dantsoho said: “The FCT had beefed up security measures in the territory in collaboration with Service Chiefs hence the cases of kidnapping and banditry had reduced because of the proactiveness of the FCT Minister and the Minister of State.

“You can go to bed and sleep, the security situation has improved, lots of drones are around in FCT and I want to caution people that organise picnics to be aware of this and there have been many arrests in the territory.” 

(NAN)