The Federal Capital Territory Administration FCTA said it will next Monday begin to take possession of the 4,794 properties revoked over non-payment of Ground Rents for between 10 and 43 years.
The administration said it will take possession of the properties without consideration of their ownership.
Lere Olayinka, Senior Spexial Assistant Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, alongside the Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze and Director, Department of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, disclosed this at a news conference Friday in Abuja.
On March 19, 2025, the administration revoked the Wadata Plaza national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Wuse Zone 5 for serial non-payment of ground rents.
While administration officials said the plaza is privately owned and does not belong to the PDP, they said its owner, one Samaila Mamman Kofi, who bought it from Wadata and got his papers registered by way of Assignment, owes 28 years worth of ground rent from 1998 to 2025, which is computed to be N2.84 million.
Other properties whose title where revoked, according to the FCTA included those of the Nigeria Postal Authority, the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN, Nigerian National Petroleum Company NNPC, the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, the National Universities Commission NUC, the Borno State Government, the Nigeria Delta Development Corporation NDDC, the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria FRCN, the Federal Ministry of Environment, the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company among others.
They said, “Ownership of the revoked 4,794 properties in the Central Area, Garki I and II, Wuse I and II, Asokoro, Maitama and Guzape districts, had already reverted to the FCTA, and as from Monday, next week, the government will begin to exercise its rights of ownership on the affected landed properties.
“As usual, this will be done without consideration as to ownership of the affected landed properties. It will be purely in line with extant laws and regulations guiding the process.”
Director of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, explained that affected properties will be sealed up and access to them restricted as from Monday. He said the FCTA will decide what to do with the affected properties in due course.
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