Wike Slashes UniAbuja Land from 11,000 to 4,000 Hectares, Alleges Land Grabbing

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has accused the University of Abuja of land grabbing, announcing a reduction of the university’s permanent site in Giri District from over 11,000 hectares to 4,000 hectares.

Wike made this known on Monday in Abuja during the commissioning of the access road to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Academy and other roads in Giri District. The event was performed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Tajudeen Abbas, on behalf of President Bola Tinubu.

The University of Abuja, which initially sat on 11,824 hectares, was previously Nigeria’s third largest university by landmass. It now ranks eighth, following the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), which occupies 4,048 hectares.

Wike said the move was necessary to curb illegal expansion by the university, which he alleged had been fencing off and selling government land without proper documentation. He directed relevant agencies to allocate 4,000 hectares to the university while reclaiming the rest for other uses, including new roads and infrastructure to serve institutions in the district.

“We cannot allow people to just wake up in the morning and start fencing everywhere with no document. That is not how we work. We have told the Director of Lands to carve out 4,000 hectares for the university. The remaining land will be reallocated,” Wike said.

The minister also pledged to accommodate the National Assembly’s legislative institute in the area and assured that basic infrastructure would be provided to encourage development.

Minister of State FCT, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, commended Wike’s leadership, describing the project as part of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to improve connectivity and foster growth.

EFCC Chairman Olanipekun Olukoyede, represented by the Commission’s Secretary Muhammad Hammajoda, expressed gratitude to Wike for constructing the road, which he said would accelerate the development of the EFCC Academy into a centre of excellence for financial crimes enforcement and research.