Following a series of warnings to defaulters to settle their ground rent arrears, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has announced that it will soon commence the physical takeover of 4,794 properties.
The takeover, which affects properties with land titles revoked due to non-payment of ground rent spanning between 10 and 43 years, will start on Monday, May 26.
This was announced on Friday at a joint press briefing by the FCT Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and Social Media, Mr. Lere Olayinka, alongside the Director of Land Administration, Mr Chijioke Nwankwoeze, and the Director of Development Control, Mr Mukhtar Galadima.
The FCTA states that the revocation of the titles was carried out in accordance with the Land Use Act, specifically Section 28, Subsections 5(a) and (b), which empowers the government to reclaim land for breaches of the terms of occupancy.
According to the officials, the government will commence exercising its right of ownership over the properties, situated across key districts in the Federal Capital City, including the Central Area, Garki I and II, Wuse I and II, Asokoro, Maitama, and Guzape.
It said: “Ownership of the revoked 4,794 properties in the Central Area, Garki I and II, Wuse I and II, Asokoro, Maitama, and Guzape districts had already reverted to the FCTA.
“And as from Monday, next week, the government will begin to exercise its rights of ownership on the affected landed properties.
“As usual, this will be done without consideration as to ownership of the affected landed properties. It will be purely in line with extant laws and regulations guiding the process.”
Persecondnews recalls that on March 18, 2025, the FCTA announced that 4,794 properties – part of a larger list of 8,375 properties in default, including the National Secretariat of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP), currently under construction in the Central Business District – had failed to pay ground rent for at least a decade, with some defaults dating back as far as 43 years.
The administration disclosed that the property owners owed more than N6.9 billion in ground rent, leading to the revocation.
The Wike-led administration granted a 21-day deadline for those owing rent for under 10 years to make payments, after which their titles would also be revoked.
At the news conference, the Director of Land, Mr Nwankwoeze, said the grace period had expired and that the titles would be revoked in accordance with the extant laws of the FCT.
He said: “Relevant agencies of the FCTA are already compiling records of compliance and non-compliance with this directive, with a view to acting accordingly.
“It is important to state that payment of Ground Rent on landed properties in the FCT is founded on extant legislation.
“It is clearly stipulated in the terms and conditions of the grant of Right of Occupancy, and it is due for payment on the first day of January, each year, without demand.”
Responding to reports that some property owners had taken legal action, Nwankwoeze clarified that “there was no court decision on the revocation, and as such, the FCTA is not restricted in discharging its lawful functions regarding the affected properties.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Galadima, the Director of Development Control, has said the exercise would involve sealing off the affected properties and restricting access to them from Monday, adding that the FCTA would determine the fate of the properties in due course.
The initial default list was drawn from ten of the oldest districts in Phase 1 of the Federal Capital City, covering: Central Area District (Cadastral Zone A00), Garki I (Cadastral Zone A01), Wuse I (Cadastral Zone A02), Garki II (Cadastral Zone A03), and Asokoro (Cadastral Zone A04).
Others are Maitama (Cadastral Zone A05 and A06), Wuse II (Cadastral Zones A07 and A08), and Guzape (Cadastral Zone A09).
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