The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to prevent the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, from carrying out plans to shut down 34 embassies in Abuja over unpaid ground rents.

 

In a statement posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) account, SERAP warned that closing diplomatic missions would violate international diplomatic laws—particularly Article 22 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which ensures the inviolability of diplomatic premises.

 

Minister Wike had earlier threatened to revoke over 4,700 land titles and seal off embassies and other properties that have failed to pay ground rents since 2014. According to the FCT Administration, foreign missions collectively owe more than ₦3.6 billion.

 

Following Wike’s threat, President Tinubu intervened on May 26, granting a 14-day grace period for embassies and other property owners to clear their debts. That deadline expired on Monday, June 9, prompting fears that enforcement actions could begin immediately.

SERAP stated, “President Tinubu should urgently caution and direct the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to immediately withdraw the threat to close down 34 embassies in Abuja. The threat is contrary to Article 22 of the Vienna Convention.”

 

Under this convention, embassies are protected from search, seizure, or enforcement actions by host countries. Paragraph 1 of Article 22 declares that “the premises of the mission shall be inviolable,” while Paragraph 3 affirms that embassy property and vehicles are immune from enforcement measures.

 

While some institutions such as the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) have reportedly settled their debts, several embassies have denied Wike’s claims.

The Russian Embassy maintained that it had fully paid its dues and possesses valid documentation as proof. Officials from the Turkish and German embassies also denied receiving any formal notice and suggested their inclusion on the defaulters’ list might be a bureaucratic error.

 

Other embassies named on the list include those of Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Thailand, the Philippines, Congo, Venezuela, South Korea, Trinidad and Tobago, Zambia, Iraq, the Netherlands, Ireland, Uganda, Sudan, Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, and Guinea.

 

According to the FCT Administration’s Director of Land, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, penalty fees of ₦2 million to ₦3 million have been imposed based on property location.

 

Diplomatic and legal experts warn that taking enforcement action without adequate consultation could lead to serious diplomatic consequences and breach Nigeria’s international obligations.