The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project Nigeria (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and halt what it describes as a “purported threat” by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to shut down 34 foreign embassies in Abuja over unpaid ground rents.
In a statement on X on Monday, SERAP warned that such action would violate international law and diplomatic conventions.
“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 group stated.
SERAP referenced Article 22 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which guarantees the inviolability of diplomatic missions and prohibits their premises from being subject to search, requisition, attachment, or execution.
“Article 22, paragraph 1, of the Vienna Convention states that ‘[t]he premises of the mission shall be inviolable’
“Article 22, paragraph 3, sets out that ‘[t]he premises of the mission, their furnishings and other property thereon and the means of transport of the mission shall be immune from search, requisition, attachment or execution’,” the post read.
The issue arose from recent findings by the Federal Capital Territory Administration that at least 34 embassies in Abuja have overdue ground rents dating back to 2014.
Chronicle NG reports that the total amount owed by the missions stands at over ₦3.66 million.
Among the embassies listed as defaulters are those of Ghana, Thailand, Côte d’Ivoire, Russia, the Philippines, the Netherlands, Turkey, Guinea, Ireland, Uganda, Iraq, Zambia, Tanzania, Germany, the DR Congo, Venezuela, Korea, Trinidad and Tobago, Egypt, Chad, India, Sudan, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Indonesia, the European Union, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, China, South Africa, and Equatorial Guinea.
Some debts are as low as N150, while others exceed N1 million, including the Zambia High Commission (N1,189,990), Indonesia’s Defence Attaché (N1,718,211), and China’s Economic and Commercial Counsellor’s Office (N12,000).
The FCT minister issued a directive on May 26 ordering enforcement action against 4,794 properties with overdue rents ranging from 10 to 43 years.
This was intended to include embassies that had also defaulted. However, following public uproar and diplomatic sensitivity, Tinubu intervened, allowing a 14-day grace period, which expires today (Monday).
The FCTA’s Director of Land, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, stated that embassies and other defaulters would be required to pay penalty fines of ₦2 million or ₦3 million, depending on the location of their premises.
While SERAP recognised the significance of income collection, it underlined that such measures should not violate diplomatic conventions or international agreements.
