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Apparently, nobody is above the law as Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has issued a stern warning to 34 embassies in Abuja over their failure to pay ground rent for over a decade.

According to reports, the affected foreign missions have not paid their dues since 2014, racking up a collective debt of ₦3,662,196 in unpaid ground rents. The FCTA has now threatened to shut down their facilities if the payments are not made promptly.

A recent publication by the FCTA revealed the alarming backlog, raising concerns about the level of compliance with local property laws by diplomatic entities in Nigeria’s capital.

Interestingly, while some institutions were initially listed as defaulters, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) have since settled their debts, clearing their names from the defaulters’ list.

On May 26, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, ordered officials to commence enforcement on 4,794 properties that were revoked due to non-payment of ground rent, spanning between 10 and 43 years.

But President Bola Tinubu intervened, granting a 14-day grace period, which ends on Monday (today), to affected property holders to settle their outstanding obligations.

The Director of Land, FCTA, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, disclosed that the defaulters would pay penalty fees of N2m and N3m respectively, depending on their locations.

The defaulting embassies include the Ghana High Commission Defence Section; Embassy of Thailand, Embassy of Côte d’Ivoire; Embassy of the Russian Federation; Embassy of the Philippines; Royal Netherlands Embassy; Embassy of Turkey, and the Embassy of the Republic of Guinea.

Also included are the embassies of Ireland, Uganda, Iraq, and the Zambia High Commission.

Other missions on the list include the Tanzania High Commission, German Embassy, Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Embassy of the Republic of Korea, and the High Commission of Trinidad and Tobago.

The Embassy of Egypt, Embassy of Chad, Sierra Leone Commission, High Commission of India, Embassy of Sudan, Embassy of Niger Republic, and Kenya High Commission are also listed among the defaulters.

Others are the embassies of Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, and Indonesia.

The Delegation of the European Union, Embassy of Switzerland, Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, China’s Economic and Commercial Counselor’s Office, South African High Commission, and the Government of Equatorial Guinea also featured on the list.

Reacting, the Embassy of the Russian Federation firmly denied any outstanding debts.

“The Embassy pays all bills for the rent of the territory on which the Embassy complex is located in good faith and on time. The Embassy also has all necessary documents confirming payment,” it stated.

Similarly, the Embassy of Turkiye questioned its inclusion on the FCTA’s list, citing a possible administrative error.

A Turkish official told our correspondent, “We have not received a formal notification about the debt. We regularly make our payments on time, and we will check if we are on the list because of a bureaucratic mistake or a misunderstanding, and will fix the issue as soon as possible.”

The German Embassy, in a chat with this newspaper, clarified that no formal claim or demand regarding unpaid rent had been brought to its attention by the FCTA.

“We understand that you are referring to reports suggesting that the German Embassy in Abuja has outstanding rent obligations. We would like to clarify that no such claim or demand has been formally brought to our attention by the Federal Capital Territory Administration,” the embassy stated.

It further insisted that all official financial obligations relating to the embassy’s premises had been settled as of the end of 2024, adding that there are no known outstanding payments.

The embassy emphasised its commitment to maintaining a respectful and cooperative relationship with the Nigerian government and the FCTA, reaffirming its dedication to transparency and mutual trust.

“Moreover, we can confirm that all official financial obligations relating to the Embassy’s premises have been fully settled as of the end of 2024. There are no known outstanding payments.

“The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany highly values its respectful and cooperative relationship with the government of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory Administration and remains fully committed to transparency and mutual trust,” the statement added.

The Embassy of Ghana also told this newspaper that even though it had not been notified officially of the development, it would reach out to the Foreign Affairs on ways to resolve the issue.

The embassy stated, “The High Commission has noted the publication but has not been officially communicated to. We will liaise with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on this matter.”

An official at the Sierra Leone Embassy said they were unaware of the issue and would verify the claim.

He noted, “I am not aware and I am not in the office now. On my return, I will inform my authorities to cross-check.”

Concerning the claims by some embassies that they were not indebted to the FCTA, spokesman for the FCT minister, Lere Olayinka, stated, “This claim will be promptly investigated and appropriate action will be taken.”

Commenting on the development, a former Nigerian ambassador to Mexico, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, referenced the 1961 Vienna Convention and urged caution.

“For the diplomatic premises, if we are to go by the Vienna Convention of Diplomatic Relations, the premises of a diplomatic mission are inviolable,” he submitted.

“But that is not to say that they are not supposed to obey local municipal rules and regulations or the rules and regulations governing such things as relate to property ownership. However, there may be a caveat,” Amedu-Ode said.

He suggested that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should handle the matter diplomatically.

“It is a question of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs looking at each one on a bilateral basis and implementing it on a reciprocal basis,” the ex-envoy stated.

A foreign affairs analyst, Charles Onunaiju, also questioned the legality of applying ground rent rules to diplomatic missions, arguing that it was not applicable under international laws.

“By the Vienna Convention establishing diplomatic missions, diplomatic premises are sovereign territory of their respective countries,” Onunaiju pointed out.

He warned that any enforcement action against embassies could trigger diplomatic fallout.

“If you get into their premises to lock it down, you are obviously violating a very advanced diplomatic protocol. It will be a breach of diplomatic protocol,” the analyst warned.

Meanwhile, a reliable source close to the Peoples Democratic Party leadership, who spoke on condition of requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the issue, told this newspaper that the PDP had settled all matters related to ground rent with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

He stated, “The PDP has resolved all issues with Wike regarding the ground rent. Action was taken on Friday to make the payment, so there is no longer any problem.”

When asked about the development, the FCT minister’s spokesman, Lere Olayinka, said, “Some of these things, there is no way we can know. Some are paying through Remita, people are paying online. So, it’s until they bring their receipts that we can know.”

It was also learnt that the Federal Inland Revenue Service had mended fences with the FCTA after their offices were sealed off following non-compliance.

Lagos Times