Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has warned against any attempt to seal embassies and foreign missions in Abuja due to unpaid ground rents. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Falana emphasized that such actions violate international law and constitutional protections.
“Embassies and missions cannot be invaded because they have not paid ground rent, which is not applicable for all of them,” Falana stated firmly.
The warning comes amid reports that the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), under Minister Nyesom Wike, published a list of 9,000 property owners, including 34 embassies, allegedly defaulting on ground rent payments. The administration threatened to repossess the affected lands.
On May 23, 2025, the FCTA announced plans to seal about 5,000 properties with outstanding ground rent debts spanning 10 to 43 years. Some properties, such as the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party, were already affected. Following this, President Bola Tinubu intervened, granting a 14-day grace period for defaulters to clear their dues and penalties.
This grace period ended on Friday, June 6, 2025, coinciding with the Eid-el-Kabir public holiday, and the public awaits the FCTA’s next actions as enforcement may resume by Tuesday, June 10.
Falana cautioned that sealing properties without due legal process has repeatedly been ruled unlawful by Nigerian courts. He explained, “As far as the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations is concerned, the premises of any embassy in Abuja are inviolable by Article 22 of the convention.
“If we embark on invading the embassy of any country, it’s going to lead to serious diplomatic problems for Nigeria. So, it is not allowed.”
He also challenged the legal authority behind the FCT minister’s directive, asserting that it contravenes Nigerian law and international conventions. “The minister cannot order that a house be sealed up because the right to a fair hearing is guaranteed by Section 36 of the Constitution and Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights Act. What this implies is that before you can take action against me, you must give me the right to make a representation,” Falana stated.
Calling for urgent intervention, he urged the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, to advise Minister Wike accordingly. “I expect the Minister of Foreign Affairs to have intervened. I also expect the Attorney General of the Federation to intervene,” he said.
Falana acknowledged that ground rent debts are a valid concern but insisted enforcement must follow legal protocols. “The rule of law must be allowed to operate. Yes, people are owing. Too bad! But if you want to collect your money, you must go to court.
- “There is a tribunal in Abuja — Urban and Regional Planning Tribunal, constituted by five members from the building industry. That is the body that has the final say on demolition and attempts to seal up properties. In other words, anybody who is aggrieved by the threat to seal up a property is advised to go to court. We are operating a democracy,” he concluded.
