Tuesday, June 10, 2025 - The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to prevent the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, from carrying out plans to shut down 34 embassies in Abuja over unpaid ground rents.
In a statement posted on its official X (formerly Twitter)
account, SERAP warned that closing diplomatic missions would violate
international diplomatic laws—particularly Article 22 of the Vienna Convention
on Diplomatic Relations, which ensures the inviolability of diplomatic
premises.
Minister Wike had earlier threatened to revoke over 4,700
land titles and seal off embassies and other properties that have failed to pay
ground rents since 2014. According to the FCT Administration, foreign missions
collectively owe more than ₦3.6 billion.
Following Wike’s threat, President Tinubu intervened on May
26, granting a 14-day grace period for embassies and other property owners to
clear their debts. That deadline expired on Monday, June 9, prompting fears
that enforcement actions could begin immediately.
SERAP stated, “President Tinubu should urgently caution and
direct the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to immediately withdraw the threat to
close down 34 embassies in Abuja. The threat is contrary to Article 22 of the
Vienna Convention.”
Under this convention, embassies are protected from search,
seizure, or enforcement actions by host countries. Paragraph 1 of Article 22
declares that “the premises of the mission shall be inviolable,” while
Paragraph 3 affirms that embassy property and vehicles are immune from
enforcement measures.
While some institutions such as the Federal Inland Revenue
Service (FIRS), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the National Agency for
the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) have reportedly settled
their debts, several embassies have denied Wike’s claims.
The Russian Embassy maintained that it had fully paid its
dues and possesses valid documentation as proof. Officials from the Turkish and
German embassies also denied receiving any formal notice and suggested their
inclusion on the defaulters’ list might be a bureaucratic error.
Other embassies named on the list include those of Ghana,
Côte d’Ivoire, Thailand, the Philippines, Congo, Venezuela, South Korea,
Trinidad and Tobago, Zambia, Iraq, the Netherlands, Ireland, Uganda, Sudan,
Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, and Guinea.
According to the FCT Administration’s Director of Land,
Chijioke Nwankwoeze, penalty fees of ₦2 million to ₦3 million have been imposed
based on property location.
Diplomatic and legal experts warn that taking enforcement
action without adequate consultation could lead to serious diplomatic
consequences and breach Nigeria’s international obligations.
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