Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has strongly denied reports alleging that he allocated 2,082 hectares of land in Abuja’s upscale districts of Asokoro and Maitama to his son, describing the claims as entirely false and a deliberate attempt to tarnish his reputation.
The denial was issued through a statement by Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, who criticized the report as baseless and lacking in journalistic credibility.
“In Asokoro and Maitama today, where would anyone find over 2,000 hectares of land for allocation? The claim is not only misleading, it is mischievous,” Olayinka said.
The online report had cited a Right of Occupancy (R-of-O) allegedly issued to JOAQ Farms and Estate Limited as evidence of land being secretly allocated to the minister’s family.
However, Olayinka clarified that the land in question is located in Bwari Area Council, not in central Abuja, and was approved for agricultural use—not for residential or commercial development.
“For the avoidance of doubt, JOAQ Farms and Estate Limited is a legitimate company that received land strictly for farming in Bwari. No land has been allocated to the minister’s son, or any of his children, anywhere in the FCT,” he stated.
While affirming that Wike and members of his family have a constitutional right to own property in any part of Nigeria, Olayinka stressed that no such allocations have been made under Wike’s administration.
He challenged the authors of the report to present official records backing their claims and urged the public to disregard what he called “another politically-motivated attack on the Minister’s integrity.”
The statement comes amid broader public scrutiny of land administration practices in the Federal Capital Territory, with growing calls for transparency and due process.
Meanwhile, during the commissioning of the Kugbo Bus Terminal in Abuja, Wike revealed that the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre is fully booked until 2027.
The minister made the disclosure in the presence of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who represented President Tinubu at the event. He said the high demand for the facility underscores the foresight behind the project and its growing relevance for national and international engagements.
“We are currently adjusting the centre’s schedule to accommodate the request of the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review,” Wike disclosed.
He added that the widespread interest in the centre is proof that President Tinubu’s investments in infrastructure are already delivering value to the nation.