Wike Accused of Allocating $3.6 Billion Worth of Abuja Land to Son in Alleged Abuse of Office

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has been accused of allocating over 2,000 hectares of prime Abuja land—estimated to be worth at least $3.6 billion—to his son, Joaquin Wike, in what officials and observers describe as a sweeping abuse of public office.

According to an exclusive report by Peoples Gazette, the allocations were made between October 2024 and May 2025 and covered high-value areas including Maitama, Asokoro, Guzape, and Gaduwa. The lands were awarded with certificates of occupancy signed directly by the minister, many under the name of Joaq Farms and Estates Ltd, a company registered just days before the allocations began.

While no specific law bars an FCT minister from assigning land to relatives, multiple sources in Wike’s office described the transactions as far-reaching, systemic, and indicative of improper self-dealing. The report states that the minister did not pay mandatory ground rent, registration, or survey fees for the allocated plots—actions that contravene Nigeria’s constitutional code of conduct for public officers.

Joaq Farms was incorporated on October 10, 2024, and received an initial allocation of 350 hectares a week later. By early 2025, at least six more allocations had been made to the firm, all signed personally by Wike. In total, 2,082 hectares—equivalent to around 40,000 residential plots—were confirmed to have been transferred. Officials told *Peoples Gazette* that more than 3,500 hectares may have been granted, but documents for the remaining tracts were not immediately available.

The value of land in key districts such as Maitama and Asokoro has surged in recent years, with some plots selling for $1.28 million to $1.4 million. Based on those figures, officials estimate the total value of the properties allocated to Wike’s son could surpass $3.6 billion.

Despite internal pushback from aides, Wike reportedly defended his actions, allegedly stating that he wanted his children to become the largest landowners in the capital. “He said he was just starting,” an aide told the publication. “We have never seen anything even remotely comparable to this.”

Several allocations were also found to have been re-assigned from previous owners, including land previously granted to the Austrian embassy and plots taken from a middle-class family that has since relocated. The company address listed for Joaq Farms—13 Thaba Tseka Street, Wuse II—has long been associated with Wike and his family’s business operations.

According to the report, Wike focused heavily on emerging districts like Bwari, Kwaita, and Gaduwa, where the value of land is expected to appreciate in the medium to long term. His actions have drawn further criticism amid growing complaints about the FCT Administration’s inability to pay salaries in key departments, including broadcasting, environmental protection, and water services.

Joaquin Wike, who has kept a low profile since completing secondary school in 2020, has recently become more publicly visible, frequently accompanying his father to events. The elder Wike, who served as Rivers State governor from 2015 to 2019, has said he is preparing his children to inherit his political structure.

Since his appointment as FCT Minister in August 2023, Wike has remained a member of the opposition PDP while serving in the APC-led federal government. The dual affiliation has stirred internal political tensions, with some presidency officials reportedly viewing him as a destabilizing presence.

Responding to the report, ministerial spokesman Lere Olayinka said he had no knowledge of the land allocations and could not comment on matters he had not been briefed on. It remains unclear whether President Bola Tinubu was aware of the transactions. A senior aide reportedly told Peoples Gazette that Wike’s conduct is a “serious liability” to the administration but acknowledged that addressing it could prove politically difficult ahead of upcoming elections.

Anti-corruption advocates have called for an urgent probe. Patience Okonkwo, who reviewed the documents, said the alleged transactions marked an alarming escalation in public corruption. “This is unconscionable,” she said. “It must be investigated thoroughly, and consequences must follow if confirmed.”