In a surprising development on Monday, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) sealed off the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) office located in Zone 5, Abuja, due to the agency’s failure to pay ground rent for an astonishing 25 years.
The enforcement action was executed by officials from the Department of Development Control, a key arm of the FCTA responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance with Abuja’s land use regulations.
Eyewitnesses reported that FCTA operatives arrived at the premises in the early hours, revoking the property’s land title and placing official seal notices on the gates and buildings, effectively shutting down operations within the facility.
The action signals a growing trend in which the FCTA has begun clamping down on defaulters—including government agencies and private organisations—that have failed to meet statutory obligations such as land use charges, ground rents, and property-related taxes. Ground rent is a mandatory annual fee paid to the government for the use of allocated land in the Federal Capital Territory.
Sources within the FCTA say the enforcement followed multiple notices and failed attempts to get the agency to settle the long-standing debt, estimated to span two and a half decades. While the exact amount owed has not been disclosed publicly, the duration suggests that the figure could be substantial, especially when penalties and accumulated interest are factored in.
As of the time of filing this report, no official response has been issued by the FIRS, the nation’s apex tax collection agency, which ironically enforces compliance from both public and private entities nationwide.
Observers have described the sealing of the FIRS building as both symbolic and ironic, highlighting perceived lapses in inter-agency accountability within Nigeria’s federal system. Some Abuja residents who spoke to reporters expressed shock, noting that if a key revenue-generating agency like FIRS could default on such basic financial obligations, it raises broader questions about governance and internal compliance.
Analysts believe this move could have ripple effects across other federal ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), many of which are also suspected to be in default of ground rents and related levies. The FCTA has, in recent months, increased pressure on property owners and government agencies to clear outstanding debts as part of a broader revenue drive to fund infrastructural development within the capital city.
Legal experts suggest that unless FIRS resolves the matter quickly—either by settling the debt or challenging the enforcement through legal channels—the closure could disrupt critical tax services and processes, including corporate tax filings, VAT remittances, and taxpayer support operations in the capital.
Meanwhile, some civil society organisations have called for transparency on the part of both FCTA and FIRS. They urge the FCTA to publish a list of all defaulting agencies and organisations and demand that agencies like FIRS lead by example when it comes to fulfilling civic and statutory duties.
Until a resolution is reached, the sealed office remains inaccessible to staff and the public, casting a shadow on inter-agency coordination and raising questions on internal adherence to land policies in Abuja.
