FCTA Seals FIRS, Access Bank and Total Over Decades of Unpaid Ground Rent in Abuja

FCTA Seals FIRS, Access Bank and Total Over Decades of Unpaid Ground Rent in Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Monday sealed off the offices of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Access Bank, and Total Energy in Wuse, Abuja, over failure to pay ground rent.

According to the Director of Land, FCTA, Chijoke Nwankwoeze, the affected properties have now legally reverted to the FCTA as part of a broader exercise targeting over 4,794 revoked properties.

He disclosed that the FIRS office, located in Wuse Zone 5, had accumulated 25 years’ worth of unpaid ground rent, while Access Bank’s building, located on Plot No. 2456, Wuse I, Cadastral Zone A02, belongs to Rana Tahir Furniture Nig. Ltd and had not paid ground rent in 34 years.

“The property has thus reverted to the FCTA, which has now taken possession thereof,” Nwankwoeze said.

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In a similar action, the enforcement team sealed off Total Energy’s facility on Plot 534, Cadastral Zone A02, Wuse Zone 1. The property, which belongs to Total PLC, had reportedly not paid ground rent in more than 10 years.

The Director of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, confirmed the enforcement was in line with the FCTA’s decision to reclaim thousands of revoked properties in the capital territory.

“So, today is just to comply with what we have said that we are going to take over all the revoked properties and we are starting with a plot 534 Cadastral Zone A02 that Wuse Zone 1, owned by Total PLC,” he said.

The FCTA has ramped up enforcement actions across the capital to recover long-standing debts and reclaim defaulting properties.