The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has issued a final two-week ultimatum to owners of 762 plots in Maitama II District, Cadastral Zone A10, Abuja, to pay for their Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) or face permanent revocation of their land titles.
This follows Thursday’s revocation notice targeting several high-profile allottees, including former Chief Justice of Nigeria Walter Onnoghen, House of Representatives Speaker Tajuddeen Abass, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, for failing to settle their outstanding payments.
In a statement on Friday, Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to the minister, clarified that the government’s primary goal is not to revoke land titles but to ensure compliance with payment obligations.
“It should be recalled that on October 5, 2024, a list of 3,273 allottees who had not paid for their C-of-O was published, giving them a two-week deadline to pay or lose their Right of Occupancy (R-of-O). Out of these, 2,511 complied, leaving 762 defaulters,” the statement read.
On Thursday, the FCT Administration announced the withdrawal of R-of-O titles for the 762 defaulters. However, the minister has since granted an extension following appeals from some affected allottees. The new deadline for compliance is January 3, 2025.
The ultimatum also affects 614 additional allottees with outstanding C-of-O payments. Failure to comply by the deadline will result in the permanent withdrawal of their R-of-O titles, as stipulated under Section 28 of the Land Use Act of 1978.
“After January 3, 2025, there will be no further extensions, and withdrawal of R-of-O titles of defaulters will be final,” the statement emphasized.
This move underscores the FCT Administration’s commitment to ensuring accountability and proper revenue generation in Abuja’s land allocation system.
