The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has sealed off the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) office in Abuja over a shocking 25-year backlog of unpaid ground rent.
- FCTA’s Development Control Department acted on Monday morning.
- The FIRS office in Zone 5, Abuja, was sealed, and the land title revoked.
- No official response yet from the FIRS.
- The rent default spans 25 years.
It’s a striking irony, Nigeria’s tax authority is being penalized for dodging its land dues. The sealing of the FIRS building underscores a growing enforcement trend by the FCTA, which has ramped up action on landowners with long-overdue ground rent. The silence from FIRS raises eyebrows, especially as the agency is expected to uphold fiscal responsibility. This move may signal a broader crackdown on government agencies failing to meet basic civic obligations.
While the FCTA has made an example out of the FIRS, questions remain about how such a long-term default was allowed to persist. Citizens will be watching closely to see if this ushers in a wave of accountability across public institutions.
