FCT Minister Nyesom Wike denies allocating over 2,000 hectares of Maitama and Asokoro land to his son, calling the report false and malicious
Wike denies land allocation claims as controversy brews over an online report alleging he granted over 2,000 hectares of land in Abuja’s most exclusive districts to his son.
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The Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, described the accusation as baseless and malicious.
The report, which did not originate from any mainstream media outlet, claimed that Wike had covertly allocated 2,082 hectares of land in Maitama and Asokoro to one of his sons using a company allegedly linked to his family.
It referenced a Right of Occupancy issued to JOAQ Farms and Estate Limited, said to be connected to the Wike family, suggesting the land was being misused for personal benefit.
Responding to the claim, Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, said the allegation was a fabrication by those determined to discredit the minister.
“Not even a single plot of land has been allocated to any of the minister’s children,” Olayinka stated on Thursday. He dismissed the report as the product of untrained individuals posing as journalists.
According to Olayinka, the idea that 2,082 hectares could be found in such densely developed districts as Maitama and Asokoro was absurd.
He challenged the credibility of the report and reiterated that the FCT minister had not allocated any land to members of his family.
He also defended the rights of the minister and his relatives to own property legally anywhere in the Federal Capital Territory.
Olayinka explained that JOAQ Farms and Estate Limited, which the publication mentioned, was a legally registered agricultural business that received its land allocation in Bwari Area Council, not in Maitama or Asokoro. “So what’s wrong with a farmer getting land allocation strictly for agriculture?” he asked.
The minister’s aide criticised the spread of unverified stories and urged the public to disregard the publication.
He reiterated the administration’s support for responsible journalism, noting that professionalism remained essential in maintaining credibility within the media space.
The publication, he argued, relied solely on one document and lacked substantive proof to justify its sensational claims.
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By casting doubt on the integrity of the FCT Minister without basis, the report amounted to defamation, Olayinka concluded.
Oreoluwa is an accountant and a brand writer with a flair for journalism.
