Wike Issues Two-Week Deadline for Abuja Landowners to Settle C-of-O Bills

Wike Issues Two-Week Deadline for Abuja Landowners to Settle C-of-O Bills

Wike Issues Final Two-Week Grace for Abuja Landowners to Pay C-of-O Bills

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has granted a two-week extension to owners of 762 plots in Maitama II District, Cadastral Zone A10, Abuja, to settle their Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) bills or face the permanent revocation of their land allocations.

This was disclosed in a statement on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka.

Wike emphasized that the government’s primary goal is not to strip people of their land but to ensure compliance with payment obligations.

The statement read:
“On October 5, 2024, a list of 3,273 allottees and titleholders who had yet to pay for their C-of-O was published. They were given a two-week deadline to make payments or lose their Right of Occupancy (R-of-O) titles. Out of these, 2,511 complied, leaving 762 defaulters.

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“Yesterday, a notice of withdrawal of the R-of-O titles of these 762 defaulters was published.

“Following this, many affected allottees expressed their readiness to pay. Since the government’s primary objective is to secure these payments, an additional two-week grace period has been granted.

“As a result, the 762 defaulters, along with 614 others with outstanding C-of-O payments, now have until January 3, 2025, to comply. Failure to do so will lead to the final withdrawal of their R-of-O titles under the provisions of Section 28 of the Land Use Act of 1978.

“After January 3, 2025, no further extensions will be granted, and the withdrawal of titles for non-compliance will be irreversible.”