The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has defended the sealing of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national secretariat and other high-profile properties. The action targets owners who failed to pay ground rent, some for over four decades.
At exactly 2:06 p.m. on Monday, FCTA officials locked the gates of Wadata Plaza in Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, the PDP’s national headquarters. The operation affected 4,973 properties across the FCT.
Speaking through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, Wike dismissed claims of political bias.
“We’re not here for politics,” Olayinka said. “We sealed Ibro Hotels, Access Bank, FIRS, Total Petrol Station, and many more are coming. So, how is this political?”
The FCTA recently revoked 4,794 land titles. Property owners had failed to pay rent for periods ranging from 10 to 43 years.
Chijioke Nwankwoeze, Director of Lands at the FCTA, confirmed that the FCTA notified the property owners before the action. He mentioned that the FCTA served Senator Samaila Mamman Kofi, listed as the owner of Wadata Plaza, at his Kaduna address.
“We served the revocation notice on March 14, 2025, and also pasted it at the gate,” he stated.
Responding to FIRS’ claim that it had paid, Nwankwoeze insisted they had no record of such payment.
“Let FIRS present a receipt issued by the Lands Department. Without that, their claim doesn’t hold,” he said.
He also clarified that Fortunate Case Limited, not FIRS, owns the sealed property the agency occupies. He explained that if FIRS had purchased the property, it should have registered its interest officially.
Rights Group Rejects Seizure Approach
Reacting to the development, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) criticized the FCTA’s approach. Emmanuel Onwubiko, the group’s national coordinator, stated that ground rent violations should attract penalties, not property seizures.
“Non-payment should be penalized, but not with forfeiture as the first step,” he said.
Despite criticism, Wike said the enforcement will continue until all affected properties are addressed.
