Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has debunked reports alleging that Nyesom Wike allocated 2,082 hectares of land to one of his sons in Asokoro and Maitama districts of Abuja.
Olayinka, in a statement issued on Thursday described the claim as a “tissue of lies”, and also noting that the reports lacked any factual basis and was “another falsehood from the vault of those whose main job is to malign the FCT Minister.”
Olayinka further challenged the publishers of the report to produce evidence of any land allocation document bearing the name of any of Wike’s children.
“Not even a single plot of land has been allocated to any of the Minister’s children,” he stated.
He also questioned the feasibility of such a claim, saying, “In Asokoro and Maitama of today, where can the FCT Minister see 2,082 hectares of land to allocate to anyone?”
Olayinka clarified that the Right of Occupancy (R-of-O) mentioned in the report was issued to JOAQ Farms and Estate Limited, a registered agricultural company, rather than to any individual associated with the Minister.
He said, “For the avoidance of doubt, JOAQ Farms and Estate Limited, a company duly registered in Nigeria, got land allocation in the Bwari Area Council for the purpose of farming.
“So what is wrong with a farmer getting land allocation strictly for the purpose of agriculture?”
Olayinka noted that the publication forms part of a broader campaign aimed at tarnishing Wike’s image.
He insisted that despite Wike’s right and that of his family to acquire land anywhere in Nigeria, no allocation has been made to his children.
He added, “Therefore, the publication, claiming that the FCT minister allocated 2,082 hectares of land to his son, is false and should be disregarded.”