Wike Warns FCT Ground Rent Defaulters of Property Seizure from Wednesday

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has issued a final warning to ground rent defaulters in Abuja to pay up immediately or lose their properties from Wednesday, November 27, 2025.Speaking to journalists on Monday after inspecting ongoing road projects in Wuse and Life Camp districts, Wike declared that the era of grace periods is over.“It’s unfortunate that most Nigerians who complain don’t want to abide by the rules,” the minister said. “We gave them a two-week extension, then presidential intervention added more time. That was over four months ago. We have published several notices, yet many still refuse to pay. This is the last warning, there will be no further extension.”He explained that enforcement teams from the FCT Administration will begin sealing defaulters’ premises from Wednesday, after which the properties will automatically revert to the FCT Administration.“If you have not paid your ground rent, we will seal the property and it becomes the property of the FCT Administration,” Wike stressed, adding that revenue from ground rent and other taxes is critical for funding ongoing infrastructure development across the territory.During the inspection, the minister expressed satisfaction with progress on two major arterial roads:Transit Way N2 (Central Business District to Wuse), being constructed by Levante Construction Ltd. The contractor assured completion by the first week of June 2026. Arterial Road N5 (Obafemi Awolowo Way, Life Camp Junction to Karmo), handled by Julius Berger Nigeria Plc. The company promised handover by the end of January 2026. Standing on the newly completed bridge section of Arterial Road N5, Wike praised the quality of work and urged contractors to maintain the pace.“We are very happy with what we have seen today. The quality is excellent and the timelines are realistic,” he said.The minister’s tough stance on ground rent defaulters comes as the FCT Administration intensifies efforts to boost internally generated revenue to fund President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” infrastructure agenda in the nation’s capital.

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