FCTA to Take Possession of 4,794 Properties Over Ground Rent Default from May 26

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has officially announced it will begin reclaiming possession of 4,794 properties across key districts in Abuja from Monday, May 26, 2025. This unprecedented move comes after property owners failed to settle Ground Rent arrears stretching between 10 and 43 years.

The announcement was made during a press briefing in Abuja by Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, alongside Chijioke Nwankwoeze, Director of Land Administration, and Mukhtar Galadima, Director of Development Control.

Officials emphasized that the repossession process will proceed irrespective of the properties’ ownership status. “Ownership of the revoked 4,794 properties in the Central Area, Garki I and II, Wuse I and II, Asokoro, Maitama and Guzape districts has already reverted to the FCTA,” Olayinka stated. “From Monday, the government will begin exercising its rights of ownership on these landed properties.”

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High-Profile Defaulters Included

Among the notable properties affected by the revocation is Wadata Plaza, the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), located in Wuse Zone 5. While the building itself is privately owned by Samaila Mamman Kofi, it was revealed that he failed to pay ground rent for 28 years, accumulating a debt of ₦2.84 million from 1998 to 2025.

Other prominent institutions whose property titles were revoked include the Nigeria Postal Authority, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), National Universities Commission (NUC), the Borno State Government, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Federal Ministry of Environment, and the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company.

Legal Basis and Process

According to Nwankwoeze, the action is backed by existing legislation. “Payment of Ground Rent is a statutory requirement under the terms and conditions of the Right of Occupancy,” he explained. “It is due on the first day of January every year without demand. Defaulting property owners are in clear breach of this obligation.”

Section 28, Subsections 5(a) and (b) of the Land Use Act provides the legal framework for the FCTA to revoke titles in cases of non-compliance. These laws have now been invoked, and properties that have defaulted for over a decade will be repossessed in accordance with the law.

Development Control Director Mukhtar Galadima confirmed that access to these properties will be restricted starting Monday. “The properties will be sealed, and necessary enforcement actions will be taken. The FCTA will determine the long-term course of action concerning each property at a later stage.”

No Legal Hindrance

Addressing speculations that some property owners have gone to court, Nwankwoeze clarified that there has been no court ruling barring the FCTA from carrying out the revocations. “There is no injunction or restraining order currently in effect. Therefore, we are proceeding as mandated by law,” he said.

The FCTA also stated that, in addition to the 4,794 properties now due for repossession, it had earlier identified a total of 8,375 property titles in arrears across ten of the oldest districts in the Federal Capital City (FCC). These areas include the Central Area, Garki I & II, Wuse I & II, Asokoro, Maitama, and Guzape.

The total Ground Rent owed across these properties amounts to nearly ₦7 billion. For those with arrears ranging from one to ten years, a 21-day grace period was granted to enable settlement and avoid revocation. Nwankwoeze confirmed that the administration is currently compiling compliance data, and actions will follow accordingly.

Implications and Way Forward

This mass repossession signals a more aggressive revenue enforcement policy by the FCTA under Minister Nyesom Wike’s leadership. It also serves as a cautionary tale for property owners in the capital: Ground Rent obligations are no longer being treated as optional.

In the coming weeks, the FCTA is expected to unveil plans on how the reclaimed properties will be managed, possibly through reallocation or conversion into public infrastructure projects. For now, the emphasis is on restoring legal compliance and order in Abuja’s land administration.

As of May 26, affected property owners will see government enforcement teams on-site, marking the start of one of the largest property recovery drives in Abuja’s history.