FCTA Seals FIRS, Access Bank Offices, Over Unpaid Ground Rents

Alleged default in ground rent payment has forced the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja hammer to fall on affected occupiers of properties in the territory.

The affected include the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) office in Zone 5, a branch of Access Bank, and a Total Petrol Station in Wuse area of the territory.

The offices were sealed, allegedly for non-payment of ground rents of years outstanding, The Eagle has learnt.

The FIRS office is said to be in default for over 25 years, while Access Bank Total Filling Station were shut had defaulted ground rent payments for 34 years.

“The Minister of Federal Capital Territory has in the exercise of powers conferred on him under the Land Use Act No. 6 of 1978, Cap. L5, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, revoked your rights, interests and privileges over Plot No. 2456 within Wuse I, Cadastral Zone A02, Abuja,” a letter communicating the sealing said.

Dated March 13, 2025, and signed by Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, the FCTA stated that the affected property was officially allocated to Rana Tahir Furniture Nigeria Limited, not Access Bank directly.

It said the FCT minister revoked the rights, interests and privileges of the affected companies on grounds they had defaulted on ground rents payment.

“The revocation is in view of your continued contravention of the terms and conditions of grant of the Right of Occupancy by failing to pay the annual ground rents due on the property for Thirty-Four (34) years.”

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Information is that the latest move by the administration followed several notices and public announcements issued since 2023, urging allottees to settle outstanding ground rent bills.

It is in continuation of similar moves to defaulting occupiers of landed properties in the city.

Ground rents of approximately ₦6.97 billion involving 8,375 property owners are currently outstanding in the FCT and the recent crackdown is to recover these.

“These revocations were executed in accordance with Section 28(5) of the Land Use Act, which permits the government to reclaim land from titleholders who fail to meet the conditions of their occupancy rights”, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has stated.