FCT administration get power to seal foreign missions for Nigeria sake of ground rent?
Wia dis foto come from, Nyesom Wike/Facebook
Di publication of names of property owners for Abuja wey dey owe ground rent, according to di Federal Capital Territory, don cause plenty tok-tok for Nigeria, especially becos many embassy of foreign kontris appear for di list.
Minister of di FCT, Nyesom Wike bin don threaten plenty times say goment go take over di property of pipo or companies wey dey owe ground rent.
On 26 May, 2025, officials of di FCTA start to dey seal buildings of pipo wey dem tok say dey owe ground rent for as long as 20 years.
Dem seal di headquarters of di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and di Abuja office of di Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), among odas.
Pipo bin condemn di action as dem say Wike dey use im power as FCT Minister to dey carry out vendetta attack on im party as e dey quarrel wit di party leadership.
However, President Bola Tinubu later intervene for di matter and give a 14-day grace period to allow pipo wey dey owe to pay up. Dat grace period expire on Monday, 9 June 2025.
Di list of debtors wey di BBC Pidgin see get 3,383 names inside am, including some popular pipo, top religious organisations and more dan 35 foreign missions.
Tori don dey go round say di FCT authority fit carry out dia threat to revoke di ownership of property owners wey dey owe ground rent, but many dey ask weda dem get such power?
Wetin di law tok?
Popular human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, advise di FCT Minister, Wike, make e no go cause diplomatic wahala between Nigeria and foreign kontris wey get dia embassy for Abuja.
"You no fit invade embassies sake of say dem neva pay ground rent, wey no dey applicable for all of dem," Falana tok for TV interview.
E say foreign missions dey protected by di Vienna convention wey Nigeria be signatory to, and article 22 of dis convention tok say embassies and even vehicles of foreign diplomats get immunity, so nobody fit violate am.
"If we embark on invading di embassy of any kontri, e go lead to serious diplomatic wahala for Nigeria. E no dey allowed," Falana tok.
Also, a civil society group for Nigeria, Serap, ask President Tinubu to caution Minister Wike and direct am make e no carry out im threat.
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Article 22 of di Vienna convention say: "Di premises of di mission go dey inviolable. Di agents of di receiving State no fit enta dem, except wit di consent of di head of di mission.
"Di receiving State dey under special duty to take all appropriate steps to ... prevent any disturbance of di peace of di mission or impairment of its dignity.
"Di premises of di mission, dia furnishings and oda property and di means of transport of di mission go dey immune from search, requisition, attachment or execution."
However, some oda lawyers tok say foreign missions suppose to dey pay all di money wey di law require for di kontri wia dem dey, even though dem get immunity.
Abdul Mahmud wey be legal practitioner and founder of di Public Interest Lawyers League (Pill) explain say na "common misconception" to think say di premises of embassies go be sovereign territory of di embassy.
"Embassy no be di sovereign territory of di sending state. Rather, e be di premises of a diplomatic mission under Article 22 of di Vienna Convention," oga Mahmud explain on X.
"Di land wia di Embassy dey still belong to di Host State. Di idea say embassy na extraterritorial or sovereign soil of di sending state na legal fiction, no be legal fact.
According to di legal expert, article 23 of di Vienna Convention exempt embassies and heads of missions from paying some direct taxes for di premises wia dem dey stay.
"However, dem still fit dey pay for services, like ground rent, utility charges, or lease obligations, bicos dis na contractual or customary obligations, no be taxes," e tok.
Wike go really seal di embassies?
E neva dey clear wetin go be di next step of di FCT Minister Nyesom Wike for dis matter.
Di expected drive by FCTA workers wey suppose resume dis Tuesday, afta di 14 days grace period wey President Tinubu give expire, no go ahead.
Also, BBC Pidgin notice say di amount wey some of di embassies dey owe - according to di list wey di FCTA bin publish - na small money.
For instance, di Mauritania embassy dey owe 8,150 naira ($5.17); di Thai embassy owe just 500 naira; di Malian embassy dey owe 8,600 naira; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia embassies dey naira 10,800 ($6) each, while di embassy of di UAE dey owe approximately over 6,000 naira.
E dey highly unlikely say di Federal Capital Territory Authority go seal any of di embassies sake of dis shikini moni.
