The Federal Capital Territory Administration has launched enforcement operations targeting more than 1,000 property owners in Abuja who have failed to pay statutory land charges, following months of warnings and public notices.
The action, approved by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, affects properties located in some of the capital city’s most prominent districts, including Asokoro, Maitama, Garki, and Wuse.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the Senior Special Assistant to the Minister on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, the enforcement exercise became unavoidable after repeated appeals published between May and November yielded little compliance.
Olayinka said the administration has been left with no choice but to act.
“The Federal Capital Territory Administration has commenced enforcement actions on 1,095 property titles revoked over non-payment of Ground Rent, Certificate of Occupancy bills, Penalty/Violation fees, and Land Use Conversion fees,” he stated.
He added that the affected property owners had ample opportunity to regularise their payments.
“Despite several public notices issued across national newspapers, online platforms, and television stations, many title holders ignored the directive to settle their financial obligations,” he said.
The statement explained that the defaulting property owners had violated both the terms of their Rights of Occupancy and relevant provisions of the Land Use Act.
“This contravenes Section 28, Subsections 5(a) and (b) of the Land Use Act, as the title holders refused to comply with statutory requirements,” Olayinka noted.
According to the FCTA, a final 14-day grace period expired on Tuesday, November 25, prompting the administration to initiate immediate enforcement.
Of the 1,095 affected properties, 835 are linked to outstanding Ground Rent, while 260 relate to unpaid Violation Fees and Land Use Conversion charges.
The enforcement measures are expected to include sealing, repossession, and other statutory actions as provided by law.
The administration had earlier intensified its revenue recovery efforts, attributing significant financial shortfalls to persistent default by high-value property owners in Abuja’s prime districts. Officials said the unpaid charges have hampered infrastructure development, city maintenance, and service delivery.
Wike, who has repeatedly warned against disregard for land title conditions, has maintained that the FCTA will no longer tolerate non-compliance.
“We will not allow people to hold on to public land without meeting the obligations clearly stated in their titles,” he was quoted as saying in earlier statements.
The FCTA has pledged to carry out the enforcement exercise in accordance with legal provisions and in the wider interest of maintaining order and sustaining development in the Federal Capital Territory.
