Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the National Assembly, has accused the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, of serious misconduct and abuse of office regarding land administration in Abuja.
In an interview with Arise TV, Kingibe alleged that Wike drastically slashed a ₦200 million land fee—meant to be paid by his son—to just ₦2 million. She described the move as “unethical” and “unfair,” claiming to possess documentary evidence to support her accusations.
“I have documents showing that Minister Wike allocated large tracts of land to his son. A bill of ₦200 million was due, but they wrote to him requesting a waiver. Within 48 hours, the amount was reduced to ₦2 million. At the very least, it’s unfair. It’s unethical,” she said.
Kingibe further vowed to escalate the matter, saying she plans to present the evidence to the relevant oversight bodies.
“I’m going to take those documents to the appropriate authority—the equivalent of his state assembly—and demand that the President, from whom Wike derives his powers, re-seeks National Assembly approval for such actions,” she stated.
Beyond the land bill waiver, Kingibe accused Wike of governing the FCT with impunity, bypassing legal frameworks and acting without regard for due process.
“The minister doesn’t obey the rule of law. He’s autocratic. When you try to remind him that governance is based on legal structures, he refuses to accept it,” she alleged.
The senator also criticized Wike for reinstating FCT agencies without legislative backing and for arbitrarily revoking large portions of land allocated to institutions like the University of Abuja.
“Abuja University had 11,000 hectares. Minister Wike has revoked 7,000 of those, leaving just four. It’s against the Land Use Act to take land from public institutions and give it to individuals,” she claimed.
Kingibe also condemned the dismissal of street sweepers, many of whom were indigent women, without any replacements—leaving Abuja in what she described as an increasingly dirty state.
“Every minister met street sweepers cleaning the city. Wike fired them all without replacing them with mechanical sweepers. Now, the city is dirty,” she said.
Additionally, she accused Wike of “harassing” both residents and diplomatic missions over ground rent issues.
“Minister Wike has been harassing FCT residents, including embassies, over ground rent,” she said.
Earlier reports by The Peoples Gazette—as cited by SaharaReporters—allege that Wike allocated over 2,000 hectares of Abuja’s most valuable lands to his son, Joaquin Wike, bypassing regulations and waiving critical payments in the process. The plots span exclusive areas like Maitama, Asokoro, Guzape, Bwari, and Gaduwa, with an estimated market value of $3.6 billion.
Senator Kingibe’s claims add to growing public scrutiny over the FCT minister’s land allocation practices since taking office in August 2023.
