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Wike Revokes Abuja Lands Belonging To Fayose, Emir Of Ilorin And Others
The FCTA is to commence enforcement action on the 1,095 properties following the expiration of the 14-day grace period given to the defaulters to pay ground rent and land use conversion fee.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has ordered the revocation of 1,095 landed properties belonging to some prominent Nigerians, government establishments and private organisations in Abuja for failing to pay ground rent and land use conversion fee.
This revocation was contained in a public notice that accompanied a release by his Special Assistant to the Minister on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, on Friday.
The notice issued by the FCTA was titled: “Commencement of enforcement actions on defaulters of Ground Rent payments, Land Use Conversion Fee, C-of-O bills.”
According to the document, of the 1,095 listed individuals and organisations, 835 of them defaulted in the payment of ground rent, while 260 defaulted in payment of the violation fee and land use conversion fee thereby contravening the provisions of Section 28, Subsections 5(a) and (b) of the Land Use Act and also the terms and conditions of the grant of the respective Rights of Occupancy (Rof)).
Mr Olayinka said the Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA) will commence enforcement action on the lands, some of which have been developed, following the expiration of the 14-day grace given to the defaulters.
Prominent on the list seen by PREMIUM TIMES are a former First Lady of Nigeria, Patience Jonathan, former Defence Minister, Theophilus Danjuma, former Chief of Army Staff, Ishaya Bamaiyi, ambassador-nominee, Kayode Are, and Iyabo Obasanjo, daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Others are serving Minister of State John Enoh; Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, and a former National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, and a former acting national chairman of the party, Abubakar Baraje.
Former governors, whose land titles were revoked, include Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Ayo Fayose (Ekiti), Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun), Donald Duke (Cross River), Niyi Adebayo (Ekiti), Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), and Gado Nasko (old Sokoto).
Former ministers listed are Chikwe, Dapo Sarumi, Idika Kalu, Olu Agunloye, and Inna Ciroma.
Serving and former federal lawmakers on the list are Ali Ndume (Borno), Osita Izunaso (Imo), Caleb Zagi (Kaduna), Ganiyu Solomon (Lagos), Olabode Olajumoke (Ondo), Iya Abubakar (Adamawa), Abubakar Sodangi (Nasarawa), Iyiola Omisore (Osun), Patrick Obahiagbon (Edo), Usman Bugaje (Katsina), Abba Aji (Borno), Shehu Agaie (Niger), Patience Ogodo (Ebonyi)d, and Mao Ohuabunwa (Abia), who is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Wike-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Deceased prominent Nigerians listed are the 1993 presidential candidate of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC), Bashir Tofa, former PDP BoT Chairman and minister, Tony Anenih, former Finance Minister Adamu Ciroma; former Ohanaeze Leader, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu; another former Ohanaeze President, Ralph Uwechue; former Ministers Alex Akinyele, Dubem Onyia; Onaolapo Soleye, Yakubu Lame, Babatunde Osotimehin, and John Odey.
Former Anambra governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju, IGP Ibrahim Coomassie, and Delta North Senator, Patrick Osakwe, are others who are dead but are on the list.
Federal government establishments affected are the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), NNPCL, Federal Ministries of Finance, Environment, CBN, NTA, NPA, FHA, RMFAC, NAN; the Nigerian Navy and the Nigeria Police Force.
State government properties revoked are Oyo, Borno, and Kaduna, while banks affected are the Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), First Bank, EcoBank, Zenith Bank, Union Bank, defunct Diamond Bank, and defunct African Continental Bank. The Catholic Church is one of the faith-based organisations affected.
The announcement reads: “The general public, particularly holders of property in the FCT, are hereby notified that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), His Excellency, Barr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, CON, has approved he commencement of enforcement actions on a total of 1,095 properties in the Federal Capital City (FCC) for defaulting in various payments.
“Despite the several publications/public notices made by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) in some national dailies, online platforms and television stations requesting defaulters to settle their financial obligations/liabilities to the FCTA namely – Ground Rent, Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) Bill, Penalty/Violation Fee, and Land Use Conversion Fee, the underlisted property holders have failed to comply. This contravenes the provisions of Section 28, Subsections 5(a) and (b) of the Land Use Act and also the terms and conditions of the grant of the respective Rights of Occupancy.
Following the expiration of the final grace period of fourteen (14) calendar days on Tuesday, the 25th of November 2025, the FCT Administration will carry out enforcement actions on the 835 properties for defaulting in payment of Ground Rent and 260 properties for defaulting in payment of Violation Fee and Land Use Conversion Fee.”
Warnings defied
Mr Wike, on Monday, said that there would be no further extension of the payment deadline in the territory.
The minister warned that the defaulters may lose their properties if they do not meet the payment deadline.
A few days earlier, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the FCTA would commence fresh enforcement actions on Wednesday, 26 November, against defaulters of ground rent, land use change, and conversion fees, as well as right-of-occupancy and certificate-of-occupancy bills.
The administration noted that the two-week and the presidential grace periods granted defaulters four months ago had long elapsed, stressing that it would be the last opportunity for defaulters to pay.
In May, this newspaper also reported that the FCTA sealed some of the 4,792 institutions whose properties were affected by the non-payment of ground rent, including the PDP national secretariat in Zone 5, Wuse District.
Some organisations listed at the time were CBN, INEC, NNPC, NTA, NNDC, NPA, NIPOST, PHCN, NSPMC and NUC.
The Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa (NICASA) has alleged the killing of a 58-year-old Nigerian cleric, Bishop Taiwo Michael Fakunle, in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Fakunle, an indigene of Iye, Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State, was allegedly killed on at his residence in Kensington, Johannesburg.
National President of NICASA, Rev. Frank Onyekwelu, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, saying the circumstances surrounding the cleric’s death had left his family, friends and members of the Nigerian community devastated.
According to him, two suspects allegedly gained access to Fakunle’s residence and opened fire on him, reportedly shooting him more than seven times.
Onyekwelu described the incident as a “horrific and senseless act of violence” and condemned the killing, expressing concern over the continued loss of Nigerian lives to violent crime in South Africa.
He said, “This was not merely an ordinary loss of life; it was a horrific and senseless act of violence that has robbed a family of a loved one and the Nigerian community of another precious life.”
Onyekwelu said NICASA had reported the incident to the Consulate General of Nigeria in Johannesburg, adding that a murder case had been opened at Jeppe Police Station.
He called on the South African Police Service (SAPS) and other relevant authorities to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the killing.
“We demand a thorough and credible investigation that will establish exactly what happened, identify all those responsible, apprehend the perpetrators and ensure that they are brought before the courts to face the full might of the law,” he said.
NICASA also urged Nigerian diplomatic authorities in South Africa to continue engaging with relevant South African authorities and monitor the progress of the investigation until justice is served.
NELFUND has rejected allegations that the Federal Government’s student loan scheme is being used to favour supporters or children of members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, Akintunde Sawyerr, dismissed the claim as “completely ridiculous.”
Moreover, he said the structure of the application system does not allow political affiliation to determine who receives the loans.
Sawyerr spoke during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme.
He explained that the loan scheme is operated through an electronic application process.
Applicants are required to provide personal and academic information, including their names and matriculation numbers.
According to him, the system is designed to establish whether an applicant meets the requirements for the programme.
It does not collect information that would enable NELFUND to determine whether a student belongs to the APC or supports another political party.
“I have not heard this allegation, but I can tell you that it’s a completely ridiculous idea that the administration of Bola Tinubu is focused on trying to fund people who support the party. We are talking about students; many of them are yet to vote, some of them are going to be voting for the first time, [and] many of them are not party members.
“How, in any event, do we determine who is a party member and who isn’t? Even if you are running a manual process, how do you do that? You can’t. It’s unlikely to yield you any result.
“It is a process you have to apply for this loan electronically. If you don’t have a name, you can’t apply for this loan. You provide your matriculation number; you have to be in a public institution,” he said.
The NELFUND boss said the allegation also failed to take into account the nature of the beneficiaries targeted by the programme.
He noted that many students accessing the loans are young people who have not yet participated in an election. Some are also not members of any political party.Executive Branch
Sawyerr therefore maintained that using political affiliation as a basis for deciding beneficiaries would be impractical under the existing system.
He said NELFUND’s focus is on Nigerian students who meet the conditions for the loan and are enrolled in eligible public tertiary institutions.
Sawyerr described the demand for the scheme as “overwhelming”, saying many students and their families were struggling to meet the financial demands of tertiary education.
“The demand has been overwhelming, because clearly a lot of people have struggled to get into these institutions,” he said. “They are hanging on by the skin of their teeth to stay in the institution, and this programme came as a rescue for them.”
He disclosed that NELFUND had so far disbursed about N162 billion in upkeep allowances to students.
The fund is also examining application and disbursement figures as demand increases, with the agency seeking to understand the financial requirements needed to sustain the programme.
The student loan initiative was introduced by the Federal Government as part of efforts to reduce financial barriers to higher education.
President Bola Tinubu signed the Student Loans Act into law in April 2024, paving the way for the current NELFUND structure. The scheme provides interest-free financial support to eligible Nigerian students in public tertiary institutions.
It covers approved institutional charges and upkeep support for qualified beneficiaries.
The programme was designed to give students access to funding without requiring them to depend entirely on their parents or guardians to remain in school.
NELFUND has repeatedly stressed the importance of an electronic process in managing applications and disbursements.
The system allows applicants to submit their information for verification before their applications are processed.
Sawyerr further insisted that the system does not discriminate based on religion, ethnicity or gender.
“We have a system that is focused on people who are Nigerians and meet the standard. The system doesn’t recognise your gender. There is no bias in the system at the front end or the back end.
“This is a system that doesn’t care whether you are of one tribe or the other. This system does not have a view or an opinion on whether you are a Christian, a Muslim, or an African traditional religionist; it doesn’t want to know.”
The NELFUND chief also spoke about the impact of the scheme on student retention.
He said available figures indicated that the programme had contributed to a reduction in the number of students dropping out of tertiary institutions, with the reduction put at about 20 per cent.
Sawyerr also addressed concerns surrounding repayment of the loans.
He maintained that beneficiaries would not be subjected to an unreasonable repayment burden, noting that repayment would be tied to their ability to pay after completing their studies.
Under the current structure, repayment is expected to commence two years after beneficiaries complete the National Youth Service Corps programme.
The NELFUND boss also disclosed that funds President Tinubu announced would be recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and channelled into the student loan scheme had not yet been received by the fund.
The UK Government has appointed Alastair Long as His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner (HMTC) for Africa, with a mandate to deepen economic ties and expand commercial partnerships between Britain and the continent.
The UK Department for Business and Trade welcomed Long to the position, according to a statement issued on Monday by the British Deputy High Commission.
The mission said Long would work with African governments, investors, businesses and institutions to strengthen economic relations between the UK and African countries.
It added that his responsibilities would include expanding commercial partnerships, supporting UK and African businesses, attracting investment and helping to build sustainable, resilient and productive economies across the continent.
“Long returns to a region he knows well, having previously served as Deputy Trade Commissioner and then HMTC for Africa between 2019 and 2022.
“Before taking up his current position, he served as His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain from August 2023,” the mission said.
Long said he was thrilled to resume his work in Africa.
He described Africa as the future, saying he had witnessed the continent’s “boundless energy and ambition” during his previous assignments.
“The UK is committed to being a partner that supports African and British growth by listening to African priorities and bringing the very best the UK has to offer.
“I look forward to engaging across the continent, with the UK business community, and with the UK Government team, to realise as many mutual opportunities as possible.”
Long succeeds John Humphrey, who had served as the UK Trade Commissioner for Africa since June 2022.
The British Deputy High Commission said Long inherited strong UK momentum in Africa and would bring extensive trade expertise to the role, as well as the focus and energy required to deepen partnerships and unlock further opportunities for mutual benefit.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the HMTC leads the UK’s overseas efforts to promote trade, investment, export opportunities and trade policy objectives.
The Commissioner works closely with the wider diplomatic network and other government officials to coordinate Britain’s overseas efforts to promote UK trade and prosperity.
The office also has responsibility for the Department for Business and Trade’s work in Africa, including growing the overall trade and investment relationship, improving market access for British companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, and developing trade policy.
Long joined the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in 2002 and has held previous postings in the Middle East and North Africa.
He was educated at Clare College, Cambridge University, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.
NAN
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