By Abiola Olawale
Renowned human rights lawyer and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Femi Falana, has issued a stern warning to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, urging him to immediately desist from plans to seal up foreign embassies over alleged unpaid ground rent.
Falana cautioned that such actions could immediately trigger a serious diplomatic crisis for Nigeria, straining Nigeria’s international relations and cooperation with the rest of the world.
The controversy stems from a recent publication released by the FCT Administration, under Wike’s leadership.The publication revealed a list of 9,000 alleged ground rent defaulters, including 34 embassies and High Commissions, warning them of potential forfeiture if grants rents debts were not cleared.
However, whike reacting to the development, Falana emphasized that sealing embassies would amount to a violation of international protocols, including the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which protects diplomatic premises from local enforcement actions.
Falana made this known during an interview session with Channels TV.
He said: “Embassies and missions cannot be invaded because they have not paid ground rent, which is not applicable for all of them.
“As far as the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations is concerned, the premises of any embassy in Abuja are inviolable by Article 22 of the convention.
“If we embark on invading the embassy of any country, it’s going to lead to serious diplomatic problems for Nigeria. So, it is not allowed.
“The minister cannot order that a house be sealed because the right to a fair hearing is guaranteed by Section 36 of the Constitution and Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights Act. What this implies is that before you can take action against me, you must give me the right to make a representation.”
The New Diplomat reports that on May 23, 2025, the FCTA announced that it will repossess over 5,000 properties with outstanding payments ranging from 10 to 43 years.
Already, several properties — including the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) — have been sealed.
However, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu stepped in and gave a 14-day grace period to all affected defaulters to settle their dues. The period expired on Friday, June 6, 2025, coinciding with the Eid public holiday.
