The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has denied allegations that he allocated over 2000 hectares of Abuja’s prime land, valued at $3.6 billion, to his son, Joaquin Wike.
In a statement released on Thursday, Lere Olayinka, the Minister’s media aide, described the report, originally published by Peoples Gazette, as a blackmail against his principal.
The Peoples Gazette had in an exclusive report alleged that Wike, since assuming office in August 2023, had signed off 2,082 hectares of some of Abuja’s most valuable land, including in Maitama, Asokoro, Gaduwa, Guzape, and Bwari, to a company linked to his son, JOAQ Farms and Estates Ltd.
The report said Wike bypassed key civil service regulations, issued certificates of occupancy personally, and circumvented required payments including ground rent and survey fees.
One senior aide of the Minister reportedly told the newspaper: “When we told the minister in April that he needed to slow down on frequent allocations to his own children, he said he was just starting because his goal was to make them the largest landowners in Abuja.”
But in his response, Olayinka said: “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.”
The Peoples Gazette report had detailed how Wike, through Joaq Farms and Estates Ltd, a company registered on October 10, 2024, allegedly tied to his son, secured massive land allocations starting just days after incorporation.
Official documents cited in the report revealed that on October 17, 2024, Wike allocated 350 hectares to the company under file number 155882.
Six other certificates of occupancy were reportedly signed by Wike himself on February 25, 2025, bearing file numbers 159134 through 159140, totaling over 1,500 hectares across multiple districts. A seventh file, 159135, was also said to be associated with the company.
It was also reported that some of the lands allocated to Joaquin’s firm were forcibly reclaimed from private citizens and even diplomatic entities. One of the more controversial transactions involved the seizure of land from the Austrian Embassy in the Central Area.
Reacting to the allegation about JOAQ Farms, Olayinka confirmed that the company did receive a land allocation, but not in Maitama or Asokoro.
“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 wrong with a farmer getting land allocation strictly for the purpose of agriculture?” he asked.
“The publication claiming that the FCT Minister allocated 2,082 hectares of land to his son is false and should be disregarded.”
However, the media report asserts that Wike used the agriculture designation merely as a cover to fast-track premium land grabs under the guise of farming.
The newspaper said the company’s registered office address, 13 Thaba Tseka Street in Wuse II (misspelled as “Theba” in documents), is linked to Wike’s personal business fronts.
Despite the minister’s denials, the controversy has sparked an outrage, particularly as the FCT under Wike reportedly struggles to pay salaries in several departments, including water services, environmental protection, and broadcasting.
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