The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has issued a fresh two-week ultimatum to owners of 762 plots in Maitama II District, Cadastral Zone A10, Abuja, to pay for their Certificates of Occupancy.
The deadline for payment is now set for January 3, 2025, with a warning that failure to comply will lead to the final revocation of their Right of Occupancy (R-of-O).
In a statement released on Friday by Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, the minister emphasized that the government’s goal is not to revoke land but to ensure compliance with payments.
“It should be recalled that on October 5, 2024, a list of 3,273 allottees/title holders who had not paid for their C-of-O was published. They were given two weeks to settle their bills or risk losing their R-of-O titles,” the statement read.
According to Olayinka, 2,511 landowners have since complied, leaving 762 defaulters.
The government recently published a notice withdrawing the R-of-O titles of the remaining defaulters. Following this, many affected landowners expressed willingness to pay their dues.
“Since the primary aim of the government is to ensure payment, a two-week grace has been given. The 762 defaulters, along with 614 others who still have outstanding payments on their C-of-O, must settle by January 3, 2025, to retain their titles,” the statement added.
Wike stressed that the extension is final. “After January 3, 2025, there will be no further extension, and withdrawal of the R-of-O titles of defaulters will be final,” he warned, citing the provisions of Section 28 of the Land Use Act of 1978.
The minister reiterated that the government’s focus is to recover funds and ensure compliance rather than deprive people of their lands.
