Fresh details have emerged on the land dispute that led to a confrontation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, and military officers who stopped him and his team from gaining access to a property in the Gaduwa District, Abuja on Tuesday.
The 30-hectare land in contention was initially allocated to serving and retired military personnel before it was revoked by the FCT administration under Wike’s directive.
Legal practitioners involved in the matter say the property was later redistributed to new beneficiaries, including individuals described as close political associates of the minister.
A lawyer directly engaged in the case said the revocation and redistribution were carried out “in total disregard of due process, official recommendations, and existing approvals.”
The lawyer explained that he is involved in several similar cases of land revocation and reallocation allegedly executed by the minister.
“Wike revoked the land which totals 30 hectares and allocated it to some persons, one of whom we were told in confidence is the current INEC Chairman,” the lawyer said. “Unfortunately for Wike, a former naval chief, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo (rtd), and some serving army personnel have vested interests in the land and have partly developed it.”
Documents from the Department of Parks and Recreation of the FCT Administration indicate that the land, identified as Green Area Plot 1946, CZ B13, Gaduwa, was originally designated as a park and recreation area.
It was previously sub-divided and committed to several organisations, including Santos Estates Limited, Curio International Ventures, Curio Communications Limited, Mozad Ventures Limited, and Decency Hotels Limited.
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In a letter dated May 17, 2022, the then Director of Parks and Recreation, Hajiya Riskatu Abdulazeez, confirmed that the plot formed part of the parkway system within Gaduwa District and was intended for green development through public-private collaboration.
However, the lawyer alleged that Wike later altered the land use designation from “park and recreation” to “multi-purpose” and issued new Rights of Occupancy to private individuals. He said several memos recommending approval for the original allottees since 2014 were ignored by the current administration.
The conflict reportedly escalated when Wike, accompanied by about 50 armed police officers and two bulldozers, visited the site to reclaim and demolish structures already developed by the military allottees. The visit sparked resistance from soldiers on site who refused to vacate the property.
The heated encounter, captured in a viral video, showed the minister exchanging words with an army officer identified as Capt. Adam Yerima who insisted that the land belonged to the military.
The lawyer said the Nigerian Army has asked the minister to resolve the matter legally, but he has declined to approach the court. “The Army has challenged Wike to go to court, but he has refused to do so, apparently because he knows he’s wrong,” he said.
He also accused the minister of dismissing complaints from aggrieved landowners by repeatedly telling them to “go to court,” even when existing legal proceedings and administrative reviews on the land remain pending.
The confrontation marks one of several disputes linked to Wike’s ongoing land recovery drive in the FCT, which has sparked widespread debate over legality, transparency, and fairness in Abuja’s land administration.
Sahara Reporters
