SERAP URGES TINUBU TO STOP WIKE’S THREAT TO SHUT EMBASSIES OVER RENT DEBT

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and halt the threat issued by Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, to shut down 34 embassies in Abuja over unpaid ground rent dues. The rights group warned that such an action would constitute a serious violation of international diplomatic law and may trigger a diplomatic backlash that could harm Nigeria’s global reputation.
Wike, in a directive issued on May 26, claimed that embassies — including those of China, Germany, India, South Africa, and the European Union — collectively owe over ₦3.66 million in ground rent. The arrears reportedly range from as low as ₦150 to over ₦1.7 million, and the embassies were given a 14-day ultimatum to comply or face enforcement measures. That deadline expires today, Monday, June 9.
SERAP, in a public statement released via its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, emphasized that under Article 22 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, diplomatic premises are inviolable and cannot be entered or seized by host countries. The group stated that even when diplomatic missions are in breach of local regulations or obligations, such matters must be resolved through diplomatic channels, not through what it termed “bullying tactics.”
The organization acknowledged the Nigerian government’s right to enforce revenue collection but stressed that doing so without recourse to international norms could result in retaliatory actions against Nigerian missions abroad or even diplomatic sanctions.
SERAP called on President Tinubu to urgently de-escalate the situation and initiate a proper legal and diplomatic framework to address such disputes in the future, warning that failure to do so could damage bilateral relations and impact foreign investment in the country.