Investors sue Wike, others over ‘unlawful interference’ in Abuja Free Trade Zone

… Urge Tinubu to save USD639m FDI

A group of Investors under the aegis of Abuja Technology Village Free Trade Zone, has filed a suit at the Federal High Court Abuja, challenging the legality of the administrative decisions by the FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike relating to his alleged interference with activities taking place at the Abuja Free Trade Zone, culminating into purported revocation of land, earmarked for the operations and development of the Abuja Technology Village within the Free Trade Zone.

The group, comprising of foreign and indigenous investors, in a suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1539/2025, is seeking the court’s intervention to quash the purported revocation of an area of land designated by Presidential Order, also gazetted as a Free Trade Zone, a presidential order now being set aside by Wike in conjunction with the FCT Administration.

Also, the investors have raised an alarm to the Presidency through the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) that the action of the FCT Minister is allegedly jeopardizing both Direct foreign and domestic investments worth over USD639 Million (N978 Bilion Naira equivalents) already committed to the zone.

The group further stated that The Abuja Free Trade Zone, housing the Technology Village, is not merely a parcel of land-it is a national economic asset and visible symbol of Nigeria’s commitment to becoming an innovation-driven, investment-friendly economy. The preservation of Free Trade Zone legal status is essential to the sustainability of the Free Zone Scheme nationwide.

Furthermore, the group noted that the Abuja Technology Village Free Trade Zone;“hosts 29 licensed enterprises and also serving as the site for a major electric vehicle and renewable energy manufacturing initiative in partnership with 3 other countries.

” The revocation threatens this multi-stakeholder, multi-billion-naira project and undermines Mr. President’s direct efforts to woo foreign investors under the Renewed Hope Agenda.”

In the suit filed on their behalf by M.J Numa & Partners LLP at the Federal High court, the group urged the court to declare that; “by virtue of the combined provisions of Sections 5(1)(a) and (b), 3(a) and (b), 147, 148(1), 297 and 299(a) and (b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the executive authority of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, including the powers exercised through the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority pursuant to Federal Legislation is supreme and cannot be lawfully impaired, diluted, or contradicted by the exercise of executive powers conferred on the Minister of the FCT, acting under Section 5(2) of the Constitution, as administrator of the Federal Capital Territory.

“That by virtue of Sections 1, 4, 7, 8 and 13 of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Act, Cap N107 LFN 2004 (NEPZA Act), read together with Sections 4 and 19 of the Federal Capital Territory Act, NEPZA has exclusive legal control and regulatory powers over designated free zones and enterprises therein, to the exclusion of the FCTA and the Minister of FCT.

“That the Minister of FCT and FCTA acted ultra vires and unconstitutionally by issuing a revocation of their land rights, as operators in the zone, and subsequently reallocated the land to a third party without proper authority or NEPZA’s consent, making the actions null, void, and without legal effect.”

Also, the plaintiffs sought “an order of the court to set aside the revocation and reallocation notices; to issue a perpetual injunction restraining the FCDA, FCTA, and their agents from interfering with the Plaintiffs’ possession and operations; and to compel NEPZA and other relevant federal authorities to protect and uphold their rights.”

It was gathered that the Plaintiffs, comprising Nigerian and foreign-owned enterprises, were lawfully registered by NEPZA, the Federal Government agency exclusively empowered by the NEPZA Act to license, regulate, and manage Free Zones in Nigeria.

Also, each Plaintiff holds a valid sublease/development agreement with the Abuja Technology Village Free Zone Company (1st Defendant) and has made substantial capital investments toward developing high-impact technology, logistics, and manufacturing infrastructure within the Free Zone.

However, in a recent twist of events, the FCTA and Minister of FCT, purportedly acting outside the legal framework, purportedly revoked the Plaintiffs’ land rights within Plot No. 23, Industrial Area II (C17), Abuja which forms part of the ATV Free Zone gazetted in 2009 and placed under the regulatory jurisdiction of NEPZA.

The group maintained that the revocation, communicated via a letter dated 13th May 2025, was issued on grounds of alleged non-payment of ground rent and underdevelopment, had emanated without any prior notice, warning and/or demand for compliance.

According to the group, the grounds for revocation contravened section 8 of the NEPZA Act which explicitly exempts the Plaintiffs and the Abuja Technology Village Free Zone Company from such levies, taxes and rates.

It added that despite formal objections from NEPZA and the Abuja Technology Village Free Zone Company, the FCTA proceeded to reallocate the land to another private entity, Mag International Links Limited on the 9th of July, 2025.

“The FCTA and the purported allottees have taken steps towards commencing demolition, destroying investments worth billions of Naira and terminating the plaintiffs’ businesses permanently”, the group stated.