President Bola Tinubu has been urged by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) to act and stop what it describes as a “purported threat” from Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike that 34 foreign embassies in Abuja might close because of unpaid ground rents.
SERAP warned that such a move would violate diplomatic etiquette and international law in a statement published on its official 𝕏 handle on Monday, June 9.
Article 22 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which guarantees diplomatic missions’ inviolability and prohibits search, requisition, attachment, or execution of their property, was referenced by SERAP.
Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, should be immediately warned by President Tinubu to revoke the threat to shut down 34 embassies in Abuja.
According to Vienna Convention Article 22, paragraph 1, “[t]he premises of the mission shall be inviolable.”
“[T]he mission’s premises, their furnishings and other property thereon, and the means of transport of the mission shall be immune from search, requisition, attachment, or execution,” the group said, citing Article 22, paragraph 3.
The controversy reportedly stems from the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s recent revelations that at least 34 embassies in Abuja had unpaid ground rents that go back to 2014.
These missions owe more than ₦3.66 million in total debt.
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Ghana, Thailand, Côte d’Ivoire, Russia, the Philippines, the Netherlands, Turkey, Guinea, Ireland, Uganda, Iraq, Zambia, Tanzania, Germany, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Venezuela, Korea, Trinidad and Tobago, Egypt, Chad, India, Sudan, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Indonesia, the European Union, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, China, South Africa, and Equatorial Guinea are among the embassies that have been designated as defaulters.
The Zambia High Commission (₦1,189,990), Indonesia’s Defense Attaché (₦1,718,211), and China’s Economic and Commercial Counselor’s Office (₦12,000) are among those with debts as small as ₦150 and others that exceed ₦1 million.
FCT Minister Wike ordered enforcement actions against 4,794 properties with overdue rents ranging from 10 to 43 years in a directive released on May 26.
Additionally, embassies that had similarly defaulted were covered by this directive. However, Tinubu stepped in and granted a 14-day grace period that ends on Monday (today) in reaction to public uproar and the delicate nature of diplomatic ties.
Depending on where their properties are located, embassies and other defaulters may be subject to penalty costs of ₦2 million or ₦3 million, according to FCTA’s Director of Land, Chijioke Nwankwoeze.
Although SERAP acknowledged the importance of income collection, it emphasized that such measures must not contravene international accords or diplomatic etiquette.
