The Federal Capital Territory Administration has threatened to revoke the Certificates of Occupancy of the plots of land belonging to some prominent Nigerians and corporate organisations if they fail to settle the outstanding payments for the certificates within two weeks.

The FCTA issued the threat in a notice to 3,273 allottees of the plots located in the Maitama Disrict of Abuja.

The notice obtained on Friday is titled, “Demand notice for payment of Right of Occupancy bills for issuance of Certificates of Occupancy on all lands allocated at Maitama II District, Cadastral Zone, A10, Abuja.”

Among those listed as owners of the plots are the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and former Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege,

Others are former Governors Theodore Orji (Abia), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa), Joshua Dariye (Plateau),
Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Jonah Jang (Plateau), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Adamu Muazu (Bauchi) and Bukar Abba Ibrahim (Yobe).

Minister of Sports, John Eno, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, and former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Nwabueze Nigige, were also listed.

Serving and former lawmakers on the list are Dino Melaye , Kabiru Marafa, Stella Oduah, Danjuma Goje, Ben Bruce , David Umaru, Saliu Mustapha, Biodun Olujimi, Andy Uba, Sunday Karimi, Olumide Osoba, Nicholas Ossai, Emmanuel Bwacha, Osita Izunaso, and the House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, Wole Oke, Kabiru Gaya, Beni Lar, Leo Ogor, Darlington Nwokocha, Peter Nwaoboshi, Oker Jev, Lynda Ikpeazu, Khadijat Ibrahim, Obinna Chidoka, Philip Aduda, Smart Adeyemi, Chukwuka Utazi, Timothy Golu, Edward Pwajok, Ali Ndume, Ben Obi, Binta Garba, and Teslim Folarin.

Also on the list are a former National Chairman of the ruling APC, Adamu Abdullahi, Third Republic Senate President, Ameh Ebute, Yusuf Buhari and Zahra Buhari (both children of former President Muhammadu Buhari).

The FCTA said it issued the notice because it is carrying out infrastructural development in the district.

“The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), through the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), is carrying out infrastructural development in Maitama II (A10) District.

“All allottees who have not paid their bills for the Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) are hereby advised to settle their bills in full within two (2) weeks from the date of this publication.

“All affected allottees are informed that failure to pay all outstanding land bills, rents, fees, and charges within the stipulated grace period will result in the withdrawal of the offers of Rights of Occupancy (R-of-O) over the said plots of land by the Honourable Minister of the FCT, and reallocation of the lands,” the notice said.

The notice may be a fresh step to sanitise land administration in the territory allegedly plagued by corruption, land speculation, and bureaucratic delays.

In August, the FCTA issued a four-month window for all landholders to pay their fees or face the revocation of their titles under the Land Use Act.

According to a statement by the FCTA Director of Information and Communication, Muhammad Sule, the administration is “deeply concerned” by the widespread failure to settle land processing fees, which has hindered its ability to fund critical infrastructure projects in the capital.

The Director of the Land Administration Department, Ekarikpong Ukpanah, also said the non-payment is not just an administrative oversight but a violation of the terms of the land grants and the provisions of the Land Use Act.

He added that, “It has also contributed to unchecked land speculation, which has further delayed real estate and infrastructural development across the FCT.”

Ukpanah said the FCTA would henceforth prioritise genuine developers and that only those who comply with the payment terms will retain their land titles.

While addressing estate developers in November 2023, the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, announced that the cost of obtaining a C-of-O had been pegged at N5 million, with a four-month window for payment.

He also said the era of multiple allocations of the same plot to different people, often involving forged documents, was over.

“Allocation of land to three or more persons will no longer be allowed because the C-of-O enables you to do business,” he said.

Wike also revealed plans to link applicants’ National Identification Numbers to their C-of-O applications, a move aimed at curbing fraud and ensuring that only genuine landholders receive legal documentation.

The minister acknowledged that some of the reforms he was introducing would not be well-received by wealthy individuals and corporations who had benefitted from the chaotic land system in the past.

He, however, noted that the FCTA’s priority was the public good.

“When we make the right decision, some people will be happy, and some will not. The rich will kick against some of our decisions, but anything that will help our people must be done,’’ he said.

In mid-November, Wike inaugurated a task force to oversee the issuance of C-of-O for housing estates and the recovery of unpaid land use fees.

He said the measures were designed to ensure that each housing unit in the FCT is legally documented, providing long-term security for investors and developers while eliminating the loopholes that have allowed fraudulent practices to flourish.

“We are taking these steps not only to stop the speculators but to ensure that the FCT can develop the infrastructure it desperately needs. If we do not act now, the capital will be left behind,” Wike explained.