Femi Falana Warns FCT Minister Wike Against Sealing Embassies Over Unpaid Ground Rents

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has warned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, against sealing embassies or foreign missions in Abuja over unpaid ground rents.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Falana emphasized that such actions would breach constitutional and international legal protections for diplomatic entities.

“Embassies and missions cannot be invaded for non-payment of ground rent, which does not apply to all of them,” Falana said.

This follows the FCT Administration’s announcement, under Wike’s leadership, that 9,000 property owners, including 34 embassies, face land reclamation for unpaid ground rents. On May 23, 2025, the FCTA revealed plans to seal approximately 5,000 properties with rent arrears spanning 10 to 43 years. Some properties, including the Peoples Democratic Party’s national secretariat, have already been sealed.

President Bola Tinubu granted a 14-day grace period for defaulters to settle payments, which ended on June 6, 2025, during the Eid-el-Kabir holiday, leaving enforcement actions likely to resume by June 10.

Falana highlighted that Nigerian courts have consistently ruled against property sealing without due process and cited Article 22 of the Vienna Convention, which deems embassy premises inviolable.