Prominent rights advocate and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has warned that any attempt by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to shut down embassies over unpaid ground rents could provoke a serious diplomatic crisis.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Falana addressed recent reports that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had threatened to seal properties, including foreign missions, over outstanding rent obligations. Falana called this move “legally unsound and internationally risky,” stressing that diplomatic missions are protected under both Nigerian and international law.
“The premises of embassies are inviolable,” Falana said, referencing Article 22 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which shields diplomatic properties from intrusion. “You cannot storm into an embassy because of rent debts; some of them may not even be legally required to pay such rent.”
His comments followed the FCTA’s recent notice that about 9,000 property owners, including 34 embassies, had failed to pay land use charges, some for over four decades. Authorities announced plans to seal up to 5,000 properties. Among the properties already affected is the PDP national secretariat. Although President Bola Tinubu later granted a 14-day grace period—ending June 6—further enforcement actions are expected soon.
Falana was clear in his legal stance: while the government has the right to recover funds, this must be done through proper legal channels. “No authority has the power to seal any property without due process. The Constitution, under Section 36, ensures every citizen or institution the right to be heard,” he noted. He also cited the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which reinforces the principle of fair hearing.
He urged the FCT authorities to use existing legal frameworks like the Urban and Regional Planning Tribunal, which is tasked with resolving such land disputes. “If rent is owed, take it to court. We are running a democracy, not a dictatorship,” Falana said.
He further called on the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Attorney General of the Federation to intervene before the matter escalates into an international conflict. “The global consequences of invading embassy properties are severe. Nigeria cannot afford to violate international diplomatic standards,” he concluded.
