FCTA drags Abuja landlords to court over N29.5bn ground rent debts

September 11,2022

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has commenced prosecution of defaulting titleholders yet to pay their Ground Rents debts.

The government explained that the court cases were filed after property owners shunned entreaties to pay the prescribed land chargers.

A statement on Sunday by Muhammad Sule, FCTA Director of Information, said those affected were given ample time to clear the N29.5 billion debt.

The government had announced its preparedness to prosecute the first set of 413 defaulting landlords by the end of August 2022.

Sule lamented that a number of debtors failed to respond to several appeals and warnings, thereby jeopardizing the government’s effort to provide critical services to the residents

FCT Permanent Secretary, Adesola Olusade had inaugurated a debt recovery committee to recover unpaid rents and other sundry fees in Land Administration.

The Coordinating Committee on the Recovery of Outstanding Ground Rent and Other Related Charges is headed by the FCT General Counsel/Secretary Legal Secretariat, Mohammed Umar.

The team engaged five law firms, owned by Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), to prepare legal documents to commence legal action against the defaulting titleholders.

The FCTA assured that it will not retreat in pursuing the legal option as it needs funds to provide infrastructural development

There will be no sacred cows as the law will surely take its course because the only language it will understand is for the debtors to clear their outstanding debt”, Sule added.

In July, the administration revealed districts in Abuja with the highest number of debtors. Asokoro, Maitama, Wuse and Garki topped the list