Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has cautioned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, against sealing 34 embassies and foreign missions reportedly owing ground rents in Abuja.
“Embassies and missions cannot be invaded because they have not paid ground rent, which is not applicable for all of them,” Falana said during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday.
The FCT Administration, under Wike’s leadership, had earlier published a list of 9,000 debtors in newspapers, urging them to pay their ground rents to avoid the forfeiture of their land. On May 23, 2025, the administration announced plans to repossess about 5,000 properties that had defaulted on payments for up to 43 years. It also began sealing some properties, including the PDP national secretariat. However, President Bola Tinubu granted defaulters a 14-day grace period to settle their outstanding payments, which expired on Friday, June 6, 2025.
Falana emphasized that several court rulings, including decisions from the Supreme Court, have affirmed that the FCT authorities lack the unilateral power to seal properties. He warned that sealing embassies could result in significant diplomatic repercussions for Nigeria, citing Article 22 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which makes embassy premises inviolable.
“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,” Falana stated.
He further argued that any action taken against property owners must adhere to the principle of fair hearing as enshrined in Section 36 of the Constitution and Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights Act.
“The minister cannot order that a house be sealed up because the right to a fair hearing is guaranteed… What this implies is that before you can take action against me, you must give me the right to make a representation,” he said.
Falana urged the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, to advise Wike on the matter.
“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,” he said, adding that disputes should be addressed through the Urban and Regional Planning Tribunal in Abuja.
“We are operating a democracy,” he concluded.