The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project Nigeria has called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and halt what it describes as a “purported threat” by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to shut down 34 foreign embassies in Abuja over unpaid ground rents.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, SERAP warned that such action would violate international law and diplomatic conventions.
“President Tinubu should urgently caution and direct the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to immediately withdraw the threat to close down 34 embassies in Abuja,” the group stated.
SERAP referenced Article 22 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which guarantees the inviolability of diplomatic missions and prohibits their premises from being subject to search, requisition, attachment, or execution.
“Article 22, paragraph 1, of the Vienna Convention states that ‘[t]he premises of the mission shall be inviolable’
“Article 22, paragraph 3, sets out that ‘[t]he premises of the mission, their furnishings and other property thereon and the means of transport of the mission shall be immune from search, requisition, attachment or execution’,” the post read.
The controversy stems from recent revelations by the Federal Capital Territory Administration that at least 34 embassies in Abuja owe ground rents dating as far back as 2014.
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