The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has issued a stern warning to some of Nigeria’s most prominent citizens and corporate organisations over unpaid land fees.
The FCTA is threatening to revoke their Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) for plots located in the upscale Maitama II District of Abuja if the outstanding payments are not settled within two weeks.
This move is part of an ongoing effort by the FCTA to enforce compliance with land regulations and promote infrastructural development in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The threat was issued in a formal notice sent to a total of 3,273 land allottees, including some of the most influential figures in Nigeria’s political and business landscape.
Among the high-profile individuals listed as owners of the plots are the children of former President Muhammadu Buhari, Zahra and Yusuf Buhari.
Also included are top government officials like the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the current Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen.
Other notable names include the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and former Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
Several former governors, including Theodore Orji (Abia), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), and Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), are also named in the list, alongside several serving and former lawmakers such as Dino Melaye, Kabiru Gaya, and Ben Murray-Bruce.
The inclusion of these prominent figures has sparked widespread discussion, as the Maitama II District is one of the most sought-after and prestigious locations in Abuja.
In the notice, the FCTA made it clear that it was enforcing the payments to fund ongoing infrastructural development projects in the Maitama II District.
The statement, titled “Demand notice for payment of Right of Occupancy bills for issuance of Certificates of Occupancy on all lands allocated at Maitama II District, Cadastral Zone, A10, Abuja,” urged the land allottees to settle their outstanding payments within two weeks or risk losing their land allocations.
“All allottees who have not paid their bills for the Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) are hereby advised to settle their bills in full within two (2) weeks from the date of this publication,” the notice stated.
Failure to comply, according to the FCTA, would result in the withdrawal of the Rights of Occupancy (R-of-O) for the plots and their subsequent reallocation to other individuals or organisations.
The FCTA also emphasized that this directive was necessary to accelerate infrastructural development in the district, which is part of the capital city’s expansion efforts.
The FCTA’s recent actions are part of a broader campaign to clean up Abuja’s land administration system, which has long been plagued by inefficiencies, corruption, and land speculation.
In August 2023, the FCTA announced a four-month grace period for landowners to pay their fees or face revocation of their land titles under the provisions of the Land Use Act.
This grace period is now coming to an end, and the FCTA is stepping up its efforts to recover unpaid land use fees.
According to Muhammad Sule, the FCTA’s Director of Information and Communication, the administration is “deeply concerned” about the widespread non-compliance with land payment obligations, which has delayed critical infrastructure development in the FCT.
“The failure to settle these fees has made it difficult for the FCTA to fund important projects that are essential for the growth and development of Abuja,” Sule explained.
He added that non-payment of land fees is not just an administrative oversight but a violation of the terms of land allocation.
