By Amanabo Ocholi | Abuja, Nigeria
In what could become one of the biggest land scandals in Nigeria’s capital, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has been accused of illegally allocating over 2,000 hectares of prime Abuja land to his son, Joaquin Wike, through questionable transactions that sidestep legal and ethical norms, The Bureau Newspaper gathered.
According to an ongoing investigation by Peoples Gazette, Wike allegedly bypassed proper procedures, sidestepped ground rent, and ignored title registration requirements to funnel highly valuable land parcels to his immediate family members. Internal sources from his ministry said the minister brazenly declared he was “just starting” and intends for his children to become the largest landowners in Abuja.
“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,” a senior aide, speaking anonymously, told the Gazette.
Documents reveal that these allocations began in October 2024, shortly after the incorporation of Joaq Farms and Estates Ltd, a company registered in Joaquin Wike’s name. On October 17, 2024, just a week after incorporation, the company was granted 350 hectares via file number 155882 and certificate of occupancy number 0000162. By May 2025, the land allocations had grown to 2,082 hectares, with more allegedly in the pipeline.
Joaq Farms was given land in some of Abuja’s most valuable districts including Maitama, Asokoro, Guzape, Bwari, Kwaita, and Gaduwa. Officials estimate these holdings could fetch a conservative $3.6 billion, based on recent property sales in the capital.
Despite these massive acquisitions, reports indicate that several Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) departments, including broadcasting and environmental protection, have gone months without pay, raising ethical and governance questions.
“This takes public graft to a new level, and consequences should be severe in a serious country,” said anti-corruption advocate Patience Okonkwo, after reviewing documents shown to her by the Gazette.
Further controversy surrounds the alleged seizure of land originally allocated to the Austrian diplomatic mission, which was subsequently reallocated to Wike.
While there is no explicit clause in Nigerian law preventing the minister from allocating land to family members, constitutional experts argue that the scale, secrecy, and lack of due process amount to illicit self-dealing, a breach of the Fifth Schedule of the Nigerian Constitution.
Adding to the outrage, at least five plots out of the 2.3 hectares granted in Gaduwa District were previously held by a middle-class family. The family has remained silent, reportedly out of fear of retaliation.
“Let me be honest with you and tell you that Nyesom Wike is a serious liability to the Tinubu administration,” a State House official said under condition of anonymity. “While we’re focused on tackling the economy and insecurity, he’s busy seizing lands from Abuja residents and reallocating them to himself.”
The scandal casts a long shadow over President Bola Tinubu’s administration, with insiders saying the president is aware but hesitant to act due to the potential political fallout.
Under Nigerian law, the president is the ultimate custodian of land in the capital. The minister serves as an administrator on behalf of the president. Critics argue that Tinubu’s silence could be interpreted as complicity or weakness.
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State and current PDP stalwart serving in the APC-led federal cabinet, has been a polarising figure. His dual allegiance and reported role in sabotaging the PDP during the 2023 elections have drawn criticism from across the political spectrum.
Lere Olayinka, a spokesperson for Wike, declined to comment, saying, “I am not aware of any development as such and can’t give comments on what I don’t have knowledge of.”
Meanwhile, calls for an independent probe into the minister’s land dealings continue to mount. Transparency advocates are urging civil society groups, opposition lawmakers, and the EFCC to step in and unravel what many are calling the most audacious abuse of public office in recent memory.
The post 🇳🇬 Wike Under Fire for Alleged $3.6 Billion Land Grab Involving Son in Abuja appeared first on The Bureau Newspaper.
