Over 3,300 owners of houses, embassies to lose properties in FCT

Over 3,000 owners of securities in the territory of Federal Capital, including important government institutions, state connection offices and several foreign ambassadors, are facing imminent ownership losses due to the failure to pay the statutory land rentals due to the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA.

With less than four remaining days on a new 14 -day ultimatum, the FCTA can start its application guide again, including the non -compliance seal and the start of the revocation processes.

The action of the Administration followed years of unpaid years of rents on the land, with debts of government agencies and state connection offices, public officials and foreign embassies for a total of n24 billion, as content in a publication by the FCTA on June 2, 2024.

The document issued by the Department of the Administration of the territory of the FCTA listed a total of 3,383 defaulting that had not put the annual rentals back between 2014 and 2024 – a legal requirement pursuant to the terms of their employment rights.

The Administration warned that failure to respect would entail the revocation of the securities and the withdrawal of employment certificates, as stipulated pursuant to the soil use law.

“The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) wishes to remind the general public, in particular assigned/owners of land ownership in the capital territory, of their obligations towards the FCTA, as stipulated in terms of alliance and conditions of the rights of employment rights/certificates of occupation of occupancy in Wit:” passing in advance without a question for the federal territory, the administration of the capital, the annual conditions of the first date of January.

“Consequently, all the owners of high/ownership, as well as the beneficiaries of the land property from the sales scheme of Federal Government houses in the FCT who did not pay or resolved their land rental until the year 2024, were fourteen (14) days from the date of this publication to pay land rentals, to avoid the revocation or withdrawal of the title”.

Among the main government entities due to great sums are the Nigerian Navy (N5.2 billion), the Department of Petrolled Resources (N1.5 billion), the Nigeria Governors Forum (N693M) and the High Federal Court (N4.1 billion).

State governments and their connection offices in the capital – including Lagos, Kwara, Jigawa, Benue, Ondo, Adamawa, Osun and Enugu – due to a combined N7.15 billion are listed as defaulting.

On the international front, the list of debts includes embassies of the main countries such as the Royal Thai Embassy, ​​the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, the Embassy of Saudi Arabia, the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates and the High Canadian Commission.

While the amounts of the debt of the Embassy are relatively modest, ranging from N500 to N12.000 – their presence in the list of defaulting diplomatic and heavy symbolic implications.

Overall, government bodies must N23.85 billion, while foreign missions represent an additional N3.66 million, for a total of N23.86 billion.

On Monday 26 May 2025, the execution teams that include officials of the FCTA Fontia Department, the Legal Secretariat and the Metropolitan Management Council of Abuja have started the application of the seal owned by 4,794 defaulting on the payments of the land rents between 10 and 43 years.

The FCT team has sealed high -profile buildings, including the national secretariat of the Democratic Party of people, the Federal Inland Revenue Service, the headquarters of the National Agency for the prohibition of people and a branch of the Bank of Access, all located in the Wuse area of ​​the territory.

Following the action, the president intervened, granting a 14 -day grace period to the owners of owners of ownership to resolve their suspended obligations.

The director of the earth, Chijioke nwankwoeze, revealed the development during a printing print in Abuja, observing, however, that the defaulting would pay the penalties of N2m and N3M respectively, depending on the position.

Sources within the Lands department informed our correspondent that several institutions concerned have hurried to make payments following the ultimatum.

However, the defaulting could lose their titles when the new ultimatum expired on Monday 16 June 2025.

However, the defaulting could lose their titles when the new ultimatum expired on Monday 16 June 2025.

In the meantime, some of the defaulting embassies have denied any offense, with others who claimed not to have been notified to the debts declared by the administration led by Wike.

The Embassy of the Russian Federation, for example, denied the knowledge of any debts.

“The Embassy pays all the invoices for the rent of the territory in which the embassy complex is in good faith and in time. The embassy also has all the necessary documents that confirm the payment,” he said.

Likewise, Turkiye’s embassy has questioned his inclusion in the FCTA list, citing a possible administrative error.

The German Embassy also clarified that he had not received any formal request or request regarding the unpaid rent, brought to his attention from the FCTA.

“We would like to clarify that this statement or request has not been formally brought to our attention by the federal administration of the territory of the capital,” said the embassy, ​​insisting on the fact that all the official financial obligations relating to the premises of the embassy had been resolved at the end of 2024, adding that there are no well -known exceptional payments.

Likewise, the Embassy of Ghana has decided to reach the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on how to solve the problem, although it had not been officially notified of development.

The embassy said: “The high commission noticed the publication but has not been officially communicated. We will connect with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the matter”.

When our correspondent contacted to find out how many non -compliance they paid their debts or when the executiones could start, Olayinka, simply replied “A notice was published on June 2nd”

The director of the territory administration, Chijioke Nwakwoeze, did not respond to the investigations of our correspondent at the time of the presentation of this report. (Punch)

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