Wike denies allocating Abuja land to son
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has denied reports alleging that he allocated 2,082 hectares of land in Abuja’s highbrow districts of Maitama and Asokoro to his son, describing the claim as “completely false and malicious”.
In a statement issued yesterday, Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and social media, Lere Olayinka, refuted the report circulating online, insisting that no single plot of land has been allocated to any of the minister’s children.
Olayinka described the publication as the work of “quack journalists” and questioned the credibility of those behind the story.
“In Asokoro and Maitama of today, where can the FCT Minister see 2,082 hectares of land to allocate to anyone?” he asked.
“Only quack journalists will go to town with such a baseless claim.”
The report in question cited a Right of Occupancy (R-of-O) allegedly issued to JOAQ Farms and Estate Limited as evidence.
But Olayinka clarified that the land allocated to the company was located in Bwari Area Council and was approved strictly for agricultural purposes.
“For the avoidance of doubt, JOAQ Farms and Estate Limited, a company duly registered in Nigeria, got land allocation in Bwari for the purpose of farming.
“So, what’s wrong with a farmer getting land allocation strictly for agriculture?” he queried.
Olayinka further noted that while the minister and his family are legally entitled to own land anywhere in Nigeria, including the FCT, no land has been allocated to Wike’s children under his administration.
He challenged the publishers of the report to present any document or official record proving otherwise and urged the public to disregard what he called “another malicious falsehood aimed at tarnishing the image of the minister.”
The denial came amid ongoing calls for transparency in land allocations within the FCT, a subject that has generated public interest and political debate.
MEANWHILE, Wike has revealed that the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja is fully booked until 2027, despite initial criticisms surrounding the project.
Speaking yesterday during the official commissioning of the Kugbo Bus Terminal, an event graced by President Tinubu’s representative, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the FCT Minister said the high demand for the facility underscores its value and relevance.
The minister noted that the FCT Administration is currently working to adjust the centre’s tight schedule to accommodate a request from the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review, which also wants to use the venue.
Wike defended the Tinubu administration, stating that the level of interest in the conference centre is a clear indication of the government’s foresight and the project’s usefulness to the nation.
