The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has faulted the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) for what it described as an “embarrassing invasion” of two of its offices in Abuja by FCTA officials over alleged non-payment of ground rent.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, the FIRS expressed outrage at the enforcement action taken by FCTA officials, who reportedly sealed off FIRS offices located at No. 12 and No. 14 Sokode Crescent, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja.
The tax authority described the action as unjustified and said it was carried out in error, insisting that the alleged debt had been settled long before the incident.
According to the Director of Facility Management at the FIRS, Mr. Tyofa Abeghe, the Service received a demand notice from the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) in September 2023 requesting payment for ground rent covering 25 years on the properties in question.
He stated that FIRS responded within three months by paying a total of N2,364,003.26, which covered the outstanding rent from the year 2000 to 2024.
Abeghe added that although payment was made promptly, no treasury receipt was issued to confirm the transaction. Frustrated by the lack of acknowledgement, the FIRS sent a follow-up letter dated February 19, 2024, seeking confirmation and an official receipt for the payment. According to him, the letter was duly acknowledged at the front desk of AGIS but was never responded to.
“This action by the FCTA is unjustifiable,” Abeghe said. “We honoured the demand notice, made the payment, and followed up to get a receipt. Instead of resolving the matter administratively, they chose to storm our offices and seal them.”
Reacting further, the Special Adviser on Infrastructure to the FIRS, Kunle Ogidi, criticised the conduct of the FCTA officials, describing it as a clear case of administrative negligence. He maintained that if due diligence had been carried out, it would have revealed that the payment was already made.
“As a law-abiding agency, FIRS does not owe ground rent on any of its properties in the FCT, including the ones targeted by this action,” Ogidi said
On his part, the FIRS Special Adviser on Media, Dare Adekanmbi, questioned the logic behind the FCTA’s claims. “FIRS has about seven offices in Sokode Crescent alone. Why would we pay ground rent on some and refuse to pay on just two? Does that make sense?” he asked.
He reiterated that the payment of N2,364,003.26 was made to cover the fiscal years in question and that the failure of the relevant FCTA agency to issue a receipt should not be grounds for public embarrassment of a federal institution.
FIRS is demanding a formal apology from the FCTA for the incident, insisting that the sealing of its offices was not only unnecessary but also damaging to inter-agency collaboration and public trust.
