FCTA Seals FIRS Office, Access Bank Over Non-Payment Of Ground Rent For 25 Years
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Monday sealed the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) office in Zone 5 and Access Bank branch in Wuse, Abuja, over their failure to pay ground rent for over 25 years.
The exercise which was made known by FCT Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka via his facebook page marks the beginning of a sweeping enforcement exercise targeting thousands of defaulters in the nation’s capital city.
Also sealed was the Total petrol station in Zone 5, Abuja, whose land title had earlier been revoked on similar grounds.
The move follows the FCTA’s threat to reclaim possession of properties with outstanding ground rent stretching back decades.
THE WHISTLER had on May 23 reported that the enforcement action stems from a public announcement made by the FCTA on March 18, 2025, revoking 4,794 land titles across key districts in Phase 1 of the Federal Capital City (FCC) due to prolonged non-payment of statutory ground rent.
Ground rent is a mandatory annual payment tied to the Right of Occupancy under Nigeria’s Land Use Act.
As per the Act, non-payment constitutes a breach of the terms of ownership and empowers the government to revoke such rights.
Specifically, Section 28, Subsections 5(a) and (b) of the Land Use Act provides the legal basis for the revocations.
As of March 2025, records showed that a total of 8,375 property owners had defaulted in ground rent payments for periods ranging from one to 43 years, with arrears totaling N6.97bn.
Of these, 4,794 titles spanning a decade or more in default were revoked, with the FCTA set to take full possession beginning May 26, 2025.
The properties affected by the enforcement are located in some of Abuja’s most prestigious and commercially strategic districts, including Central Area, Garki I and II, Wuse I and II, Asokoro, Maitama, and Guzape.
During a press briefing held ahead of the enforcement exercise, Olayinka, addressed journalists alongside the Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, and the Director of the Department of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima.
They stated that ownership of the revoked titles had legally reverted to the FCTA.
Galadima noted that enforcement would include sealing of affected properties and restricting access to them.
“There is no legal decision restraining the FCTA, so the administration is free to carry out its lawful responsibilities,” Nwankwoeze stated when asked about the likelihood of litigation from affected owners.
He also disclosed that beyond the current round of enforcement, the administration is compiling a list of other defaulting titleholders, especially those who owe between one and ten years’ rent.
These individuals were granted a 21-day grace period to clear their debts or risk similar sanctions.
The FCTA has reassured the public that the property possession exercise will follow due process and reiterated its commitment to maintaining orderly land administration, accountability, and lawful use of public assets in the nation’s capital.
FCTA Seals FIRS Office, Access Bank Over Non-Payment Of Ground Rent For 25 Years is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
