The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has shut down a Total filling station and an Access Bank branch in Abuja for allegedly failing to pay statutory ground rent.
Among the sealed properties are an Access Bank branch and a Total filling station, both located in Wuse Market, Abuja.
In a letter concerning the Access Bank premises, the FCTA’s Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, cited prolonged default in ground rent payments as the basis for the action.
The letter, dated March 13, 2025, stated: “The revocation is in view of your continued contravention of the terms and conditions of the grant of the Right of Occupancy by failing to pay the annual ground rents due on the property for thirty-four (34) years.”
Although the letter was addressed to Rana Tahir Furniture Nigeria Limited — the original allottee — TheCable understands that Access Bank has been operating from the property.
Nwankwoeze noted that the administration had issued multiple warnings and public notices since 2023, urging landholders to settle their debts. Despite these efforts, many continued to default.
These shutdowns are part of a broader land recovery campaign by the FCTA. In recent months, the administration revoked over 4,700 land titles in key districts such as Maitama, Asokoro, Garki, and Wuse, citing non-payment of rent, some of which date back more than four decades.
According to FCTA officials, more than 8,000 property owners owe a cumulative N6.97 billion in ground rent arrears.
In a high-profile case earlier this year, the FCTA also withdrew the title of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national secretariat located in Abuja’s central business district.
The revocation was linked to unpaid ground rents spanning 19 years. Affected property owners were, however, offered the opportunity to appeal for title reinstatement.
