FCTA shuts down NAPTIP headquarters over unpaid ground rent

In a sweeping enforcement action, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has sealed the headquarters of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in Abuja. The action was taken due to alleged non-payment of ground rent.

The operation, carried out on Monday in Zone 5, was part of a broader crackdown targeting both public and private establishments that have defaulted on their statutory land charges.

Notably, the clampdown extended beyond NAPTIP. An Access Bank branch located in Wuse Market and a Total petrol station in the vicinity were also sealed. Additionally, an office of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in Zone 5 was affected.

According to the FCTA, the allottee of the building occupied by Access Bank owes 34 years of ground rent, while the rent owed by FIRS spans 25 years.

Ground rent is a yearly fee landowners pay for the right to occupy and use their land.

The FCT administration said 8,375 property owners collectively owe about N6.97 billion, with some debts dating back more than 40 years.

The shutdowns follow a major enforcement drive by the FCTA, which recently cancelled 4,794 land titles in key Abuja districts, including Wuse, Maitama, Asokoro, and Garki, due to long-standing unpaid ground rents.