FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has authorized the revocation of 4,794 land titles due to over a decade of unpaid ground rent.
His aide, Lere Olayinka, revealed that 8,375 property owners owe a total of N6.97 billion in unpaid ground rent, some for as long as 43 years, primarily in prime areas of Abuja.
“This is in contravention of the terms and conditions of grant of the Rights of Occupancy, in line with the provisions of Section 28, Subsections 5(a) and (b) of the Land Use Act.
“It is important to state that payment of ground rent on landed property in the FCT is founded on extant legislation.
“It is clearly stipulated in the terms and conditions of grant of Right of Occupancy, and it is due for payment on the first day of January, each year, without demand,” he said.
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Olayinka stated that the FCTA had repeatedly published notices in newspapers and broadcast media since 2023, urging property owners to settle their outstanding ground rent bills.
However, these efforts resulted in minimal response, with many allottees continuing to neglect their payments.
“Consequently, the titles of the properties in default of payment of ground rent for 10 years and above have been revoked forthwith,” he said.
Olayinka announced a 21-day grace period for those who have defaulted on ground rent payments for 1 to 10 years, after which their land titles will also be revoked.1
Chijioke Nwankwoeze, the FCTA Director of Land, clarified that the revoked titles belong to owners in the 10 oldest districts of Phase 1 in the Federal Capital City, including private companies, individuals, and government organizations. Revocation notices will be sent to affected allottees in Cadastral Zones A01 to A09.2
He explained that the revocation process will be conducted in phases, with Phase II, comprising districts like Gudu, Durumi, and others, to follow.
Once a land title is revoked, the properties built on the land become FCTA property, and the FCT Minister will decide their fate.
He emphasized that the 4,794 properties have now reverted to the FCTA.
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