The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has sealed a Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) office in Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, over alleged failure to pay ground rent for 25 years.
This was disclosed on Monday by the Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Media, Lere Olayinka, via his X (formerly Twitter) account. The enforcement action is part of a broader crackdown on property owners defaulting on statutory land charges.
In the same operation, FCTA also sealed:
An Access Bank property in Wuse Market, reportedly owing 34 years in unpaid ground rent.
A Total petrol station in Wuse Zone 3, also cited for non-compliance.
Wider Enforcement Targets Nearly 5,000 Properties
This development follows FCTA’s announcement last Friday to enforce sanctions on 4,794 properties whose titles were recently revoked due to ground rent defaults spanning 10 to 43 years.
During a joint press briefing, Lere Olayinka, Director of Land Administration Chijioke Nwankwoeze, and Director of Development Control Mukhtar Galadima affirmed that ownership of affected properties across key districts—including Central Area, Garki I & II, Wuse I & II, Asokoro, Maitama, and Guzape—has reverted to the FCTA. The administration is now asserting its legal right to reclaim and repurpose these lands.
No Legal Barrier to Enforcement
Nwankwoeze confirmed that no court has issued an injunction against the revocation process, and the FCTA is acting within its statutory authority. He added that a compliance audit is underway for property owners previously granted a 21-day grace period to settle ground rent arrears of one to ten years.
Clarification on FIRS Headquarters
A senior FIRS official told Nairametrics that operations at the main FIRS headquarters in Wuse Zone 5 remain unaffected. Given that there are at least four FIRS offices in the area, the specific office sealed by FCTA remains unconfirmed.
Credit: Nairametrics
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