Nigerian Senate moves to require tenant identification before FCT rentals
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The Senate has asked its leadership to draft a bill requiring tenants in the Federal Capital Territory to present valid identification before renting homes or shops, arguing that rented property is being used to shelter criminals.
The Senate on Tuesday resolved to initiate legislation that would require tenants in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, to present valid means of identification before renting apartments, as part of efforts to curb criminal activities.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio directed the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, to draft the bill for consideration by the National Assembly. He gave the directive during plenary while lawmakers debated a report by the Senate committees on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations; Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters; Foreign Affairs; and Special Duties on the need to protect Nigerians from being trafficked to Libya for slavery. The report was presented by Aniekan Bassey, chair of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Mr Akpabio said many property owners hand over their premises to strangers without obtaining information about their identities, occupations or other relevant details, and that the absence of documentation makes it difficult for security agencies to trace suspects after crimes. He proposed an approach modelled on the banking sector's Know Your Customer rules, telling lawmakers: "As you know in the bank, they say, know your customer; this one we can say, know your tenants."
The Senate President said the requirement could extend beyond apartments to shops and other commercial spaces, with tenants asked to show a driver's licence, international passport or other identification so that investigators can establish who occupies a property. He cited measures introduced during his tenure as governor of Akwa Ibom State, including the death penalty for kidnapping and the demolition of property used as criminal hideouts, as examples of how landlord accountability could deter crime.
If enacted as envisaged, the legislation would require landlords in the FCT to verify prospective tenants' identities before letting property, and could oblige them and their agents to retain identification records. Premium Times reported that its effectiveness would depend on how verification is carried out, what records landlords must keep and how compliance is monitored, and that the proposal could raise concerns about privacy and the security of tenants' personal data, which the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 governs.
The proposal remains at the drafting stage and would have to pass through the full legislative process before becoming law.