Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has cautioned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, against shutting down 34 embassies and foreign missions over unpaid ground rents in Abuja.
The Port City News learnt that the former Governor of Rivers State published the names of 9,000 debtors in newspapers, urging them to settle their ground rents to avoid the risk of land forfeiture.
Furthermore, on 23 May, the FCT administration announced that it would take possession of around 5,000 properties owing ground rents for periods ranging between 10 and 43 years. It subsequently began sealing and repossessing properties belonging to debtors, including the PDP national secretariat.
However, President Bola Tinubu granted the defaulters a 14-day grace period to clear their outstanding payments and penalties. That grace period expired on Friday, 6 June 2025—a public holiday for the Eid celebrations. Speaking during an interview on Monday, Falana stated that embassies and missions could not be invaded simply because they had failed to pay ground rent.
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He further explained that ground rent obligations do not apply to embassies, and cited approximately 20 judgments from the High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court, all of which ruled that FCT authorities lack the legal power to unilaterally seal any property within the nation’s capital.
He explained that under Article 22 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, embassies in Abuja are protected from interference, making it illegal to attempt to shut them down. “Any attempt to storm or seal an embassy could trigger significant diplomatic fallout for Nigeria,” he warned. “Such actions are prohibited.” He also emphasized that the FCT Minister lacks the authority to seal any property without due process.
“Section 36 of the Nigerian Constitution, along with Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, guarantees the right to a fair hearing,” he noted. “This means no punitive action can be taken against anyone without first allowing them to be heard.” The 67-year-old called on the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, to counsel Wike appropriately.
According to him, “The legal process must take its course. Yes, there are outstanding debts—unfortunate as that may be—but recovering those funds requires legal action. There’s an Urban and Regional Planning Tribunal in Abuja, made up of five professionals from the building sector, which holds the authority to decide on demolitions or the sealing of properties. Simply put, anyone facing such action has the right to challenge it in court. This is a democratic system, and it must be respected.”
