FCT Minister Wike Nyesom has allocated 2,082 hectares of land in Abuja, worth $3.6 billion, to his son, Joaquin Wike, through a secret company.
GoldenNewsNg reports that the Federal Capital Territory Minister and former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has been accused of abusing his office to allocate sprawling hectares of Abuja’s most valuable lands to his son, Joaquin Wike.
A report filed by The Peoples Gazette, referencing inside sources and official documents, backs this staggering abuse of power orchestrated by FCT Minister Wike. The report revealed that Mr Wike, the immediate former Rivers State governor, since assuming office in August 2023, signed off on over 2,000 hectares of prime real estate to his son.
The report revealed that to achieve this, the minister bypassed regulations and skipped payment of critical fees, contrary to the Nigerian Constitution and civil service ethics.
According to the report, these allocations span some of Abuja’s most exclusive districts, including Maitama, Asokoro, Guzape, Bwari, and Gaduwa. This amounts to roughly 2,082 hectares or about 40,000 plots, with an estimated market value of $3.6 billion.
“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,” an aide told Peoples Gazette, requesting anonymity.
“We’ve worked with ministers before him, but we have never seen anything even remotely comparable to this.”
Documents obtained by Peoples Gazette indicate that the allocations were made in the name of a company, Joaq Farms and Estates Ltd, which was registered on October 10, 2024, just days before it began receiving land allocations from Wike.
FCT Minister Wike allocated 350 hectares to Joaq Farms under file number 155882 and certificate of occupancy number 0000162 on October 17, 2024.
The company’s registered address, 13, Thaba Tseka Street, Wuse II (misspelled in the documents as “Theba”), has long been linked to the minister’s personal business fronts, according to the report.
In further damning revelations, records show that Mr Wike personally signed six certificates of occupancy for Joaquin’s company on February 25, 2025, bearing file numbers 159134, 159136, 159137, 159138, 159139, and 159140.
A seventh file, 159135, was also said to belong to Joaq Farms but could not be obtained by the newspaper. As recently as May 30, Wike reportedly signed off on 2.3 hectares in the booming Gaduwa District, reinforcing allegations that his son is being strategically positioned to dominate the Federal Capital Territory’s real estate wealth.
The FCT Minister also allegedly seized land from the Austrian Embassy in the Central Area, reallocating the prized plots to himself in another controversial move highlighted by Peoples Gazette.
Sources familiar with the transactions told Peoples Gazette that Wike deliberately avoided paying ground rent, registration, and survey fees, further violating the Code of Conduct for Public Officers as outlined in Fifth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution.
Officials stated that Joaquin Wike, the minister’s youngest son who finished high school in 2020, could conservatively earn over $3.6 billion from the lands.
“He has certificates of occupancy for all the lands, that’s what makes it even more lucrative,” one official said.
The documents revealed that five plots out of the 2.3 hectares allocated in Gaduwa were forcibly taken from a middle-class Nigerian family, who refused to comment for fear of retaliation.
Despite his position, the FCT administration under Wike owes salaries across multiple departments under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), including broadcasting, water, and environmental protection units, with many workers unpaid for several months.
Lere Olayinka, a spokesman for the minister, told Peoples Gazette he was unaware of the land allocations:
“I am not aware of any development as such and can’t give comments on what I don’t have knowledge of.”
Peoples Gazette also reported that insiders in the Presidency are alarmed, but unsure how to rein in 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 said. “While we’re focused on tackling the economy and insecurity, he’s busy seizing lands from Abuja residents and reallocating them to himself.”
The aide admitted that President Bola Tinubu might hesitate to discipline Wike before the next general election.
“The president would eventually have to decide on what to do with the minister,” the aide noted. “But predicting whether that is going to be before or after the election is beyond my service charge.”
