Over 3,000 titleholders in the Federal Capital Territory, including prominent government institutions, state liaison offices, and several foreign embassies, are facing imminent loss of properties due to failure to pay statutory ground rents owed to the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA.

With less than four days remaining on a fresh 14-day ultimatum, the FCTA may recommence its enforcement drive, including sealing up defaulting properties and initiating revocation processes.

The administration’s action followed years of mounting unpaid ground rents, with debts of government agencies and state-owned liaison offices, public officials, and foreign embassies now totaling over N24bn, as contained in a publication by the FCTA on June 2, 2024.

The document released by the FCTA’s Department of Land Administration listed a total of 3,383 defaulters who had failed to remit their annual ground rents between 2014 and 2024 — a statutory requirement under the terms of their Rights of Occupancy.

The administration warned that failure to comply would lead to revocation of titles and the withdrawal of Certificates of Occupancy, as stipulated under the Land Use Act.

“The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) hereby wishes to remind the general public, particularly allottees/title holders of landed properties in the Federal Capital Territory, of their obligations to the FCTA as stipulated in the covenanted terms and conditions of the Rights of Occupancy/Certificates of Occupancy to wit: “pay in advance without demand to the Federal Capital Territory Administration the Annual Ground Rent from the first date of January of each year.

“Accordingly all allottees/property owners, as well as beneficiaries of landed properties from the scheme of sale of Federal Government Houses in the FCT who have not paid or settled their Ground Rents up to the Year 2024 are hereby given fourteen (14) days from the date of this publication to pay their ground rents, to avoid revocation or withdrawal of title,” the notice read.

Among the top government entities owing large sums are the Nigerian Navy (N5.2bn), the Department of Petroleum Resources (N1.5bn), the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (N693m), and the Federal High Court (N4.1bn).

State governments and their liaison offices in the capital — including Lagos, Kwara, Jigawa, Benue, Ondo, Adamawa, Osun, and Enugu — owing a combined N7.15bn are also listed as defaulters.

On the international front, the debt list includes embassies of major countries such as the Royal Thai Embassy, Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, the Saudi Arabian Embassy, the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, and the Canadian High Commission. While the embassies’ debt amounts are comparatively modest — ranging from N500 to N12,000 — their presence on the defaulters’ list carries heavy diplomatic and symbolic implications.

Altogether, government bodies owe N23.85bn, while foreign missions account for an additional N3.66m, totalling N23.86bn.

On Monday the 26th of May 2025, enforcement teams comprising officials from the FCTA’s Land Department, Legal Secretariat, and Abuja Metropolitan Management Council began the enforcement of sealing of properties of 4,794 defaulters on ground rent payments between 10 and 43 years.

The FCT team sealed high-profile buildings, including the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party, the Federal Inland Revenue Service, the headquarters of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, and a branch of Access Bank, all located in the Wuse area of the Territory.

Following the action, the President intervened, granting a 14-day grace period to affected property holders to settle their outstanding obligations.

The Director of Land, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, disclosed the development at a press briefing in Abuja, noting, however, that the defaulters would pay penalty fees of N2m and N3m respectively, depending on the location.

Sources within the Lands Department informed our correspondent that several affected institutions rushed to make payments following the ultimatum.

However, defaulters may lose their titles when the fresh ultimatum expired on Monday June 16th, 2025.

However, defaulters may lose their titles when the fresh ultimatum expired on Monday June 16th 2025.

Meanwhile, some of the defaulting embassies have denied any wrongdoing, with others claiming they had not been served a notice of the claimed debts by the Wike-led administration.

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

“The Embassy pays all bills for the rent of the territory on which the Embassy complex is located in good faith and on time. The Embassy also has all necessary documents confirming payment,” it stated.

Similarly, the Embassy of Turkiye questioned its inclusion on the FCTA’s list, citing a possible administrative error.

The German Embassy had, also in a chat with The PUNCH, clarified that it had not received any formal claim or demand regarding unpaid rent, brought to its attention by the FCTA.

“We would like to clarify that no such claim or demand has been formally brought to our attention by the Federal Capital Territory Administration,” the embassy stated, insisting that all official financial obligations relating to the embassy’s premises had been settled as of the end of 2024, adding that there are no known outstanding payments.

Similarly, the Embassy of Ghana resolved to reach out to the Foreign Affairs Ministry on ways to resolve the issue, though it had not been notified officially of the development.

The embassy stated, “The High Commission has noted the publication but has not been officially communicated to. We will liaise with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on this matter.”

When our correspondent reached out to find out how many defaulters had paid up their debts or when enforcements may begin, Olayinka, simply responded “a notice was published on June 2.”

The Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwakwoeze, did not respond to enquiries by our correspondent as of the time of filing this report. (The PUNCH)