By Our Reporter
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has warned owners of hotels, event centres, and other public facilities in the Federal Capital Territory against allowing their premises to be used by illegal organisations or groups capable of threatening public peace and security.
The FCTA stated that land allocations within the FCT are strictly meant for lawful activities, warning that any property used for gatherings organised by illegal groups risks revocation of its title documents.
The warning was contained in a statement issued on Friday by the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, Lere Olayinka.
According to the statement, the move forms part of efforts to strengthen security within the nation’s capital 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 read.
The administration explained that the directive is aimed at preventing illegal organisations from using public facilities for meetings or activities capable of disrupting peace and public order in Abuja.
Owners and managers of such facilities were advised to verify the legality of organisations seeking to rent their premises and properly ascertain the purpose of the gatherings before approving their requests.
The FCTA specifically urged hotel and event centre operators to deal only with leaderships of political parties recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), particularly during the ongoing political season.
The administration also directed operators to maintain proper records of all transactions involving the use of their facilities.
“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 FCTA warned that failure to comply with the directive would attract sanctions, including revocation of property title documents.
