Leadnaija
A coalition of activist and socialist organisations under the banner of the Network of Abuja Left Groups has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, of a massive land grabbing involving the alleged illegal allocation of over 2000 hectares of prime Abuja land to his son through shell companies.
The group described the move as “an act of violence” and “an assault on collective intelligence,” calling for urgent public resistance and restitution.
In a statement released on Saturday, the coalition alleged that Wike siphoned 2,082 hectares of land in the Maitama and Asokoro districts, some of the most valuable real estate in Nigeria’s capital, and redirected them into the control of his son, Joaquin Wike, via a private entity, JOAQ Farms and Estates Ltd.
The statement was signed by 10 leaders of various leftist, socialist, and civil rights organisations including the Revolutionary Socialist Movement, Socialist Workers League, ASCAB, Civil Rights Council, Democratic Socialist Movement, and others.
The land, valued at approximately $3.6 billion (N5.57 trillion), according to the coalition, is said to exceed the size of Mushin Local Government Area in Lagos and rivals Surulere Local Government Area in scale.
“It is nothing short of an act of violence when the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is exposed of siphoning 2,082 hectares of prime Abuja land in Maitama and Asokoro, valued at $3.6 billion into the pockets of his son, Joaquin, through a web of nepotism, legalised fraud, and the collusion of the state,” the statement read.
According to the coalition, “These pieces of land are at the centre of Abuja and their size put together is equal to the size of a whole local government in another state.
“The size of the land grabbed by Wike is more than the size of the whole of Mushin LGA in Lagos at 1,700 hectares or just a little less than the size of Surulere LGA in Lagos at 2,300 hectares, according to Wikipedia.
“The worth of these pieces of land is 3.6 billion dollars, which is N5.57trillion.”
According to the groups, “This scandal is not an isolated incident but a clear reflection of a government that starves its schools, hospitals, and public workers of wages and resources while greasing the wheels for private enrichment.
“This is literally the few feeding on the many, the strong devouring the weak.”
The coalition compared the estimated land value to Nigeria’s entire housing deficit budget.
“According to a 2024 Businessday article stated, ‘Experts at the ongoing Africa International Housing Show in Abuja have said that Nigeria needs N5.5 trillion to close its housing gap estimated at 20 million units.’
“In essence, Wike’s impromptu and non-compensated demolitions have contributed to an housing deficit in Abuja, but he alone is about to steal an amount that is more than what is needed to provide adequate housing to cover the housing deficit for the whole of Nigeria,” the coalition said.
“This is in the same Abuja where local government workers, primary school teachers, and primary healthcare workers who serve the communities of the masses are currently on strike because of unpaid wages,” the groups said.
They noted that while essential workers go without salaries and Abuja’s housing crisis deepens, prime land is being expropriated under dubious pretenses, including being reclassified as “farmland”, for private benefit.
“Teachers, healthcare workers, and local government staff remain on strike, their families hungry, their dignity battered, and they are rendered homeless, even as diplomatic grounds and public green spaces are expropriated and rebranded as “farmland” for the Minister’s offspring,” the statement noted.
“This is literally the few feeding on the many, the strong devouring the weak, and the State masquerading as our benefactor by building minimum utility flyovers while acting as rapacious landlords.
“This incident is part of the land grabbing and land speculation cartel activities of Abuja, where the houses of the poor and the indigenous people of Abuja in Iddo, or in Tungan Maje are constantly demolished for the rich politicians to sell to their friends and take for themselves.
“This inhumane property speculation industry does not only cause demolitions, but it is also the reason for the constantly increasing and exorbitant rent of housing in the working class and poor areas of Abuja, and the poor standard of those expensive apartments.”
The coalition warned that the scandal is part of a broader pattern of land speculation and systemic displacement in the FCT, particularly targeting indigenous communities and working-class residents in areas such as Iddo and Tungan Maje, which have faced recurrent demolitions.
These actions, they say, enrich political elites and developers while contributing to the rising cost of rent and worsening housing quality.
“This theft of Abuja’s land is not merely a property crime, but it is also an assault on our collective intelligence as the Nigerian people.
“It imperils the futures of generations who deserve decent schools, clean water, and the free use of public spaces.
“We must let this scandal rouse us to solidarity, to collective action, to the rebuilding of political power from the ground up, and to take our lands back from Wike, the demolisher.”
The group demanded, “An independent, civil‑society‑led inquiry into every allocation signed by the FCT Minister since August 2023, with all findings made public.
“Any land handed to JOAQ Farms and Estates Ltd, or any company linked to the Minister’s family, must be returned to the public.
“Certificates of Occupancy issued in Maitama, Asokoro, Gaduwa, Guzape, Bwari by this FCTA administration must be revoked.
“Salaries withheld from teachers, health workers, water‑service and environmental‑protection staff must be paid in full, with back pay and compensation for the strike period.
“Reallocate recovered acres of Land to community‑managed public housing initiatives to ensure that land serves collective needs, not private greed.”
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, was appointed Minister of the FCT in August 2023 by President Bola Tinubu.
His tenure has been marked by high-profile demolitions, controversial land reallocation, and the promise of “urban renewal.”
However, critics have accused him of targeting low-income communities and operating with opacity in land matters.
Land ownership and access in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital since 1991, has long been a flashpoint for corruption, displacement, and inequality, with the city’s original inhabitants and working-class residents often at the receiving end of forced evictions.
As outrage mounts, the coalition has urged residents, workers, and civil society to mobilise in resistance, using the hashtag #StopWikeLandGrab to rally support and awareness.
