The Abia State Government has revoked the building permit for Trademore Housing Estate in Ubani, Umuahia, after the Umuahia Capital Development Authority (UCDA) identified several planning and regulatory violations.
The Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, announced the decision on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, following the State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.
Kanu said the UCDA conducted an inspection of the estate after residents raised concerns about flooding and structural defects in the area.
According to him, the inspection showed that the development was carried out on swampy land designated for agricultural purposes.
Kanu also said the developer had initially applied for approval to construct only two buildings, a two-bedroom semi-detached bungalow and a three-bedroom bungalow, but subsequently developed an entire housing estate.
He said the application also lacked several required planning documents, including a survey plan, site plan, site analysis report, layout plan and Environmental Impact Assessment report.
According to Kanu, there was also no evidence of payment of the required administrative fees or technical inputs from relevant professionals and government agencies.
“Consequently, in view of the foregoing infractions, the building permit of that estate has been revoked,” Kanu said.
The commissioner added that Governor Otti had directed the establishment of a multi-agency committee involving the UCDA and the Ministries of Works, Environment and Lands to find a lasting solution to flooding affecting Ogurube and Ehimiri layouts in Umuahia.
The committee, he said, has two weeks to submit its report.
The UCDA General Manager, Kingsley Agomoh, said the government’s action was based on the developer’s failure to comply with approved land-use and development requirements.
Agomoh, however, assured people who legitimately purchased plots in the area that they should not panic, stressing that the government’s action was aimed at correcting the identified violations and ensuring compliance with planning regulations.
