The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed online allegations claiming he allocated over 2,000 hectares of land in the Maitama and Asokoro areas of Abuja to his son.
According to an online report, Wike allegedly approved the secret allocation of 2,082 hectares of land—situated in two of the capital’s most upscale districts—to his son, using a company named JOAQ Farms and Estate Limited, which the report linked to Wike’s family.
The land, purportedly designated for agricultural use, was suggested to be a cover for private enrichment.
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In response, Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, refuted the claims, calling the report “yet another fabrication by individuals intent on tarnishing the image of the FCT Minister.”
In a statement released on Thursday, Olayinka firmly stated, “No plot of land has been allocated to any of the Minister’s children.”
He criticized the report as baseless and the product of “unprofessional journalists lacking fundamental training,” and questioned the credibility and reasoning behind the claims.
“In Asokoro and Maitama of today, where can the FCT Minister see 2,082 hectares of land to allocate to anyone? Only quack journalists will go to town with story of allocation of 2,082 hectares of land in Asokoro and Maitama, reason some of us have continually advocated for professionalism in journalism,” the statement read.
Olayinka accused the publisher of trying to tarnish the reputation of the FCT Minister, stating that Wike and his family have every legal right to own land anywhere within the FCT, as long as they comply with all required regulations and procedures.
“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.
“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 purpose 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 Bwari Area Council for the purpose of farming. So what’s is wrong with a farmer getting land allocation strictly for the purpose of agriculture?” he queried.
Olayinka rejected the report in its entirety, describing it as “completely false” and urging the public to disregard it.
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