Wike denies allocating Abuja land to son, dares accusers to provide evidence

Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has denied a viral claim that he allocated a large swathe of land to one of his sons, Joaquin Wike, in Maitama, Asokoro, Guzape, and other parts of Abuja.

An online publication reported on Thursday, June 26, 2025, that Wike granted the piece of land measuring 2,000 hectares, or 40,000 plots, to his son under suspicious circumstances.

The report also quoted two unnamed officials from the minister's office who allegedly confirmed that the land approvals were far-reaching and systemic enough to constitute illicit self-dealing.

Reacting to the development, Wike's Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka , dismissed the report as tissue of lies.

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In a statement on Thursday, Olayinka described the claim as “another falsehood from the vault of those whose main job is to malign the FCT minister,” insisting that “not even a single plot of land has been allocated to any of the Minister’s children.”

The minister's aide further ridiculed the report, saying, “In Asokoro and Maitama of today, where can the FCT minister see 2,082 hectares of land to allocate to anyone?” suggesting that only quacks would run with a story of the allocation of 2,082 hectares of land in the two FCT districts.

Wike's aide challenges the publisher

Olayinka, who described the report as malicious and bitter, challenged the platform to provide evidence of any land allocation bearing the name of any of the Minister’s children.

“My attention has been drawn to yet, another malicious falsehood coming from the same elements whose job is to defame and malign the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike," the statement partly read.

“Even though it is the right of the Minister and members of his family, both immediate and extended, to own lands anywhere in Nigeria, including the FCT, provided all necessary conditions are met, no land has been allocated to any of his children.

“In the publication, a Right of Occupancy R-of-O issued to JOAQ Farms and Estate Limited, for Agricultural purposes, was the only evidence used to justify the claim.

“For the avoidance of doubt, JOAQ Farms and Estate Limited, a company duly registered in Nigeria, got land allocation in the Bwari Area Council for the purpose of farming.

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“So what is wrong with a farmer getting land allocation strictly for the purpose of agriculture?

“Therefore, the publication, claiming that the FCT minister allocated 2,082 hectares of land to his son, is false and should be disregarded," it concluded.