Wike’s New Ultimatum: What Abuja Landowners Need to Know About C-Of-O

C-Of-O Compliance: Wike Issues Urgent Notice to Abuja Property Owners

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has issued a two-week ultimatum to owners of 762 plots in Maitama, Abuja, to settle their Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) fees or face final revocation of their land titles.

This directive follows an earlier notice where 3,273 allottees were identified as owing C-of-O fees. After the initial two-week grace period, 2,511 complied, leaving 762 defaulters.

The FCT Administration subsequently published a notice of withdrawal for these defaulters’ Rights of Occupancy (R-of-O). Since the publication, many affected landowners have initiated payments.

Consequently, the minister has extended the deadline to January 3, 2025, for all outstanding payments. After this date, any unpaid titles will be permanently revoked.

In a related development, Minister Wike has mandated that obtaining a C-of-O in Abuja now requires a National Identification Number (NIN) for individuals and a Bank Verification Number (BVN) for corporate entities.

Existing landowners must recertify their titles to incorporate these identifiers, with fees set at ₦50,000 for individuals and ₦100,000 for corporate bodies.

This initiative aims to enhance security, curb discrepancies, and prevent the cloning of C-of-Os.