The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has firmly refuted reports suggesting he allocated 2,082 hectares of land in Abuja’s Maitama and Asokoro districts to one of his sons.
In a statement released on Thursday by his media aide, Lere Olayinka, the Minister labelled the allegation as “a fresh fabrication from those whose stock-in-trade is to smear the image of the FCT Minister.”
Wike insisted that not a single plot of land had been allocated to any of his children, dismissing the report as the work of individuals lacking professional journalistic standards.
Challenging the publishers to present credible proof, Wike queried, “In today’s Maitama and Asokoro, where is the FCT Minister expected to find 2,082 hectares of land to allocate to anyone?”
Olayinka criticised what he described as the growing trend of “quack journalism,” questioning how such a story could pass any editorial checks. “Only quack journalists will publish a report claiming allocation of 2,082 hectares in Asokoro and Maitama,” he remarked.
He clarified that the document referred to in the report was a Right of Occupancy (R-of-O) issued to JOAQ Farms and Estate Limited, a duly registered Nigerian company, for agricultural use in Bwari Area Council, not Maitama or Asokoro.
“For clarity, JOAQ Farms and Estate Limited was granted land in Bwari strictly for agricultural purposes. There is absolutely nothing irregular about a farmer receiving land for farming,” the statement explained.
Olayinka added that while the Minister and his family, like all citizens, have the legal right to own property, no land has been allocated to any of Wike’s children.
He urged the public to disregard what he described as a “baseless, malicious and deliberately misleading report aimed at damaging the Minister’s reputation.”
Wike reaffirmed his commitment to his responsibilities as FCT Minister and stated that he would not be sidetracked by unfounded accusations.
