Wike Allegedly Allocates Over 2,000 Hectares of Prime Abuja Land Worth $3.6 Billion to Son

By: Israel Adeleke 

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports as gathered that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, is facing growing outrage and accusations of massive abuse of office after allegedly allocated over 2,000 hectares of Abuja’s most valuable lands, worth an estimated $3.6 billion to his son, Joaquin Wike, through a shell company.

OTN News further reports as gathered that the explosive revelations, published in an exclusive investigation by Peoples Gazette, accused the former Rivers State governor of bypassing regulations, ignoring constitutional protocols, and manipulating his ministerial authority to enrich his immediate family at the nation’s expense.

According to official documents and insider testimonies cited by Peoples Gazette, Minister Wike began the allocations shortly after assuming office in August 2023, using a newly registered entity, 'Joaq Farms and Estates Ltd,' to funnel the acquisitions. 

The company, reportedly registered on October 10, 2024, received its first allocation of 350 hectares just one week later.

The exclusive report added that, by February 2025, Wike had signed six certificates of occupancy in favour of his son’s company, covering additional large tracts of land in high-value districts including Maitama, Asokoro, Guzape, Bwari, and Gaduwa. A seventh certificate, not yet published, was also said to belong to the firm.

One high-level source within the ministry, with the condition of anonymity, revealed, “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.”

The Joaq Farms headquarters, listed as 13 Thaba Tseka Street, Wuse II (misspelled as “Theba” in filings), has been tied to Wike’s other known business fronts.

The investigation alleged that Wike dodged critical financial obligations, including ground rent, survey, and registration fees, in violation of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers outlined in the Fifth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution.

In one particularly contentious move, the FCT Minister reportedly reallocated land previously designated for the Austrian Embassy to himself. 

Additionally, five plots in the Gaduwa District were allegedly taken from a middle-class Nigerian family, now too afraid to speak publicly.

Records indicate the value of the land hoarded under Wike’s son could conservatively exceed $3.6 billion, especially given that the certificates of occupancy have already been issued, legally formalizing the transactions.

While Wike allegedly amasses vast property wealth for his family, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) continues to struggle with unpaid salaries, with workers in broadcasting, water, and environmental departments left unpaid for months.

Primary school teachers in the FCT have been on strike since March 24, 2025, citing the government’s failure to implement the N70,000 national minimum wage and pay salary arrears. The action has left basic education paralyzed across Abuja for over 90 days.

The report recalls that earlier this year, Transparency and Accountability Network (TAN) accused Wike of reallocating a 5.5-hectare plot meant for the National Railway Station to a private firm, NY New Construction Limited, despite official warnings. The land, Plot 1398 in the Central Area, was initially reserved to enhance Nigeria’s national rail infrastructure.

TAN’s National Coordinator, Comrade Michael Briggs, raised alarm over the opaque process, noting that the project was meant to ensure seamless transportation across the country.

The report has drawn fierce condemnation from civil society and political actors. Human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, who previously clashed with Wike over mass demolitions in Abuja, renewed calls for accountability, stating: “Wike should stop grabbing people’s lands and giving them to his cronies. Abuja is not his family estate.”

Inside the Presidency, officials are reportedly alarmed but unsure how to discipline the powerful minister.

“Let me be honest with you and tell you that Nyesom Wike is a serious liability to the Tinubu administration,” a senior State House aide told Peoples Gazette. 

“While we’re focused on tackling the economy and insecurity, he’s busy seizing lands and reallocating them to himself.”

The aide, however, admitted that President Bola Tinubu might delay action until after the 2027 elections, due to political calculations.

When contacted for comment, Wike’s spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, denied knowledge of the matter, saying: “I am not aware of any development as such and can’t give comments on what I don’t have knowledge of.”

However, the report added that, despite mounting calls for an investigation, neither the EFCC, ICPC, nor the National Assembly has publicly responded to the allegations as of press time.

As the scandal unfolds, questions are being raised about unchecked executive power, the erosion of public trust, and the growing impunity of political elites in Nigeria’s capital.