By Adenike Lawal
Renowned human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has cautioned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, against sealing off foreign embassies and diplomatic missions in Abuja over unpaid ground rents.
Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme monitored by Abuja City Journal, Falana warned that such actions would violate international diplomatic protocols and risk sparking a diplomatic crisis.
He cited Article 22 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which protects embassy premises from intrusion, regardless of local legal or financial disputes.
The warning comes after the FCT Administration named over 9,000 entities, including 34 embassies, as defaulters of ground rent, with threats to repossess nearly 5,000 properties overdue by 10 to 43 years.
The national headquarters of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), is reportedly among those affected.
Although President Bola Tinubu issued a 14-day grace period that expired on June 6, which coincided with the Sallah holiday, uncertainty now surrounds the FCT Administration’s next move.
Falana emphasized that sealing properties without due process would violate Section 36 of the Nigerian Constitution and Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. He referenced over 20 court rulings, including Supreme Court judgments, stating that the FCT has no legal authority to unilaterally seal any property.
“Before any property can be repossessed, the law requires a fair hearing. This must be done through the Urban and Regional Planning Tribunal, which is the legally recognized body to handle such matters in Abuja,” he said.
Falana called on the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, to advise Wike to follow legal procedures and avoid straining diplomatic ties.
“This is a democracy,” he concluded, “and while debts must be paid, enforcement must be lawful and measured.”
