Abuja – The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Tinubu to intervene and stop the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, from shutting down 34 foreign embassies in Abuja over alleged unpaid ground rents.
In a statement shared on its X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday, SERAP warned that taking such action would violate international diplomatic protocols and undermine Nigeria’s obligations under global law.
“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 organisation said, citing Article 22 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which protects diplomatic missions from local enforcement actions including search, seizure, or eviction.
The FCT Administration had earlier revealed that the embassies owed a total of just over ₦3.66 million, with some debts dating back to 2014.
The list includes embassies from Russia, China, South Africa, Ghana, Germany, India, and the European Union, among others. While China’s Economic and Commercial Counselor’s Office owed ₦12,000, Zambia’s High Commission reportedly owed over ₦1.18 million.
On May 26, Wike announced a sweeping directive targeting 4,794 properties across the FCT with outstanding rents, some unpaid for more than four decades. Embassies were not exempt from the enforcement order.
Following concerns from diplomatic stakeholders and international observers, President Tinubu granted a 14-day grace period to resolve the issue, which expired on Monday.
