FCTA Shuts Down FIRS Office, Total Station, Others Over Unpaid Ground Rent

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has sealed several prominent properties in Abuja, including the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) office in Zone 5 and a Total filling station in Wuse, due to decades-long failure to pay ground rent.

According to FCTA officials, the FIRS office had defaulted for over 25 years, leading to the revocation of its Right of Occupancy and subsequent sealing of the premises.

The Total station, on the other hand, was found to owe ground rent for 34 years.

A letter dated March 13, 2025, signed by the Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, confirmed that the affected land originally belonged to Rana Tahir Furniture Nigeria Limited and was revoked under the Land Use Act due to prolonged default.

Despite multiple notices issued since 2023, thousands of property owners across Abuja continue to owe ground rent.

This latest action is part of a larger enforcement campaign that saw the FCTA revoke 4,794 land titles earlier this year in prime areas like Wuse, Maitama, Asokoro, and Garki.

The administration says over 8,000 property owners currently owe nearly N7 billion in unpaid dues, some dating back over 40 years

Meanwhile, in an update, the Federal Inland Revenue Service has condemned the Federal Capital Territory Administration for shutting down one of its offices in Abuja.

The agency described the action as “malicious” and “unprofessional.”

In a statement released via X (formerly Twitter), Aderonke Atoyebi, Technical Assistant on Broadcast Media to the FIRS Executive Chairman, accused the FCTA of unfairly targeting the agency.

“It is highly unprofessional of the Wike-led FCTA to close our office, disrupting staff from performing their duties when we have done nothing wrong, especially during a crucial week as we prepare to sign the Tax Reform Bills. FCTA, you have erred gravely; FIRS owes you nothing,” Atoyebi asserted.

She further accused the FCTA of attempting to use FIRS as a scapegoat, adding, “If you are looking for a fall guy, look elsewhere.

We should not be your scapegoat when you know full well that the falsehoods you spread in the media and your malicious, illegal actions will harm our operations.”

Atoyebi maintained that the agency has no outstanding rent payments to the FCTA for the past 25 years and insisted that all obligations had been settled up to 2023.

“We have the evidence,” she emphasised, pushing back against claims of indebtedness.

According to her, the incident comes at a critical juncture for Nigeria’s tax system, with major reform legislation expected to be finalised soon.

She warned that such disruptions could undermine public confidence and delay the implementation of key fiscal policies.

Analysts caution that escalating tensions between federal agencies may affect service delivery and create institutional instability.

Also, the National Assembly indicated that it might pass the harmonised Tax Reform Bills by Tuesday, following a successful review of contentious clauses.

James Faleke, Chairman of the House Committee on Finance and leader of the House delegation for the bills’ harmonisation exercise, disclosed this via his official X account on Sunday.

He tweeted, “The Conference Committee set up by the House and the Senate on the Tax Reform Bills has successfully concluded its work.

The joint committees thoroughly reviewed all sections, addressed grey areas in the four Bills, examined each clause strategically, and resolved contentious issues.”