Channels TV rejects Wike’s land allocation claims, insisting its Abuja headquarters plot was legally acquired and fully paid for

Channels Television has rejected allegations by Nyesom Wike regarding the allocation of the parcel of land housing the broadcaster’s national headquarters in Abuja.

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The dispute followed comments made by Wike during a media chat on Wednesday in which the Federal Capital Territory minister questioned the ownership structure of the property located in Guzape.

According to Wike, the broadcaster was profiting from public property allocated by government authorities.

“The land that you built Channels on is public land,” the minister said during the session.

“You are making money out of the public property. Did you buy it? No. It was allocated to you.”

Wike also defended payments made for the live broadcast of the media chat, arguing that media organisations do not provide such services free of charge.

Responding during its broadcast on Thursday, Channels Television described the remarks as inaccurate and clarified that the property was legally allocated to the company for commercial purposes on March 6, 2007.

The station stated that all statutory charges and fees linked to the land allocation had been fully settled.

“It is not correct. The property which houses our national headquarters in the Guzape area of Abuja was allocated to CTV on March 6, 2007, for commercial purposes by the then FCT minister,” the broadcaster said.

“We can confirm that all required fees and charges were fully paid.”

The broadcaster also defended payments received for airing the minister’s live media chat, explaining that such transmissions require significant technical and operational resources, including outside broadcasting vans, airtime allocation and production personnel.

Channels Television maintained that it would continue asking “the right questions” while preserving the credibility and public trust it has built over three decades of broadcasting.

The organisation further urged the FCT minister to provide clarification regarding allegations connected to land allocations involving journalists, insisting that all applicable fees attached to such allocations should be properly paid.

“Our fees are out there. We are a news and broadcast media organisation. So, if you are going to lock down one, two, or three hours of airtime, of course you will pay,” the statement added.

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The latest exchange has intensified public debate over media independence, government relations and transparency surrounding land allocations within the Federal Capital Territory.