The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and called for an urgent investigation into allegations of massive land allocation fraud involving the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
The petition, signed by HEDA’s Chairman, Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju, raised concerns over what it described as “reckless abuse of office and primitive diversion and accumulation of public assets” allegedly by the Minister.
These were contained in a statement to New Telegraph on Sunday.
The statement added that reports by Peoples Gazette and corroborated documents obtained by HEDA, Wike allocated over 2,082 hectares of prime Abuja land valued at approximately $3.6 billion—to his son, Joaquin Wike, under alleged illegal and unethical questionable circumstances, allegedly in violation of Code of Conduct for Public Officers.
According to Suraju, investigations revealed that the allocations were made to JOAQ Farms and Estates Ltd, a company linked to the minister’s son and associates, shortly after its registration in October 2024.
He further alleged that within days, massive parcels of land across Maitama, Asokoro, Guzape, Bwari, and Gaduwa were reportedly granted to the company, alongside multiple Certificates of Occupancy personally signed by the Minister.
According to him, in one striking case, the land previously allocated to the Austrian mission was reportedly seized and allegedly reallocated to Wike himself.
Suraju said: “In a further display of impunity, a letter from JOAQ Farms, signed by an ordinary General Manager, requested a 92% reduction in Statutory Right of Occupancy charges from ₦1.6 billion to ₦200 million. This request was allegedly approved within one week by Minister Wike, bypassing proper due process and raising serious concerns about abuse of public office and disregard for bureaucracy.
“This action, according to HEDA, reflects a broader pattern of politically motivated land grabbing in the FCT, where previous illegal allocations were revoked under similar circumstances. HEDA also noted that it won a Freedom of Information case against the FCT Minister in 2022 (Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1517/2020) compelling the release of data on land allocations, a judgment yet to be obeyed by the Minister.
“In line with its commitment to accountability, transparency, and the fight against corruption, HEDA has called on the ICPC to review all land allocations signed by Minister Wike since assumption of office in 2023; recover the plots corruptly allocated to JOAQ Farms and Estates Ltd; Investigate the involvement of Hon. Kingsley Chinda, a known associate and alleged front of Mr. Wike; Request President Bola Tinubu to interdict Minister Wike to allow for impartial investigation; and prosecute all individuals found culpable in accordance with the law.
“HEDA affirms its readiness to support the Commission with additional materials and remains committed to collaborating with anti-corruption institutions in ensuring justice and the preservation of public interest.”
But Wike had denied allocating the land to his son and insisted that the ongoing reports are another failed attempt at blackmail.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Lere Olayinka, Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, in a statement said the allegations was baseless and mischievous.
Responding to allegations of another purported allocation of lands to another one of his sons, Olayinka accused unnamed political actors of orchestrating a smear campaign against the minister, and that such efforts would not derail Wike’s ongoing developmental initiatives under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
He said: “As usual, this sponsored blackmail has failed. Those seeking to blackmail the FCT Minister will need to put more effort.
“Nothing will stop him from continuing with his developmental efforts in the FCT in accordance with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda.”
“Last week, It was unfounded and poorly carried out propaganda of Wike allocating 2,082 hectares of land in Asokoro and Maitama to one of his sons, even when no such land is available in the two districts combined.
“They used a document showing allocation of land for farming in Bwari Area Council to a company, JOAQ Farms, to justify the falsehood. This week, it is tales of allocation of land to another son of the Minister because documents showed allocation of lands to a company, Jordan Farms.
“Even though like other Nigerians, it is the rights of children of the Minister, his friends, associates and relatives to own lands anywhere in the country, including the FCT, provided all necessary conditions are met, as at today, no land has been allocated to any of the Minister’s children.”
A copy of the letter from HEDA to Chairman Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN) which was made available to New Telegraph was titled: “Petition against Hon. Minister Nyesom Wike for Allegedly Taking Undue Advantage of His Office to Allocate About 2,082 hectares of Land worth $3.6 billion to His Son, Joaquin Wike Within FCT, Abuja.
The letter which was signed by Suraju read: “I write on the above subject matter as a leading Anti-Corruption Organization in Nigeria and non-partisan human rights and development league with the mandate to protect and promote universally recognized human rights, public accountability, transparency and environmental justice in Nigeria and Africa, in accordance with International best standards.
“On the 26th day of June 2025, it was reported by Peoples Gazette, an online media outlet that Joaquin Wike, the last of two sons of the Honourable Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, has received at least 2,000 hectares, or 40,000 plots, in Maitama, Asokoro, Guzape, kwaita, Bwari, Gaduwa and other parts of Abuja as found out from documents and officials in the Ministry. Officials estimated that the hectares Mr Wike has issued to his son, along with certificates of occupancy, are worth at least $3.6 billion as a plot in Maitama and Asokoro, where Mr Wike gave his son at least seven hectares total, was recently sold for $1.28 and $1.4 million, respectively, according to documents reviewed by The Gazette.
“The report further revealed that Mr Wike started allocating the lands to Joaquin days after a company named after him was registered in October 2024. The company, Joaq Farms and Estates Ltd, was registered on October 10, 2024. Barely a week later, on October 17, 2024, Mr Wike allocated 350 hectares to the business via file number 155882 and certificate of occupancy number 0000162.
“The company listed its address as 13, Thaba Tseka Street, Wuse II, with Thaba mispelled on the documents as Theba as the address has long been associate with Mr Wike and his numerous fronts in the Nigerian capital.
“On February 25, 2025, Mr Wike approved at least six certificates of occupancy for lands allocated to Joaquin across the Federal Capital Territory, according to records reviewed by The Gazette. The documents were in file series 159134, 159136, 159137, 159138, 159139 and 159140 (copies of those certificates independently obtained by our organization are attached for your attention and investigation).
“As recently as May 30, 2025, Mr Wike personally signed the allocation of about 2.3 hectares for his son in Gaduwa District, where development has intensified in recent years. The minister also seized land in the Central Area that was previously granted to the Austrian mission in Nigeria, reallocating the lucrative assets to himself. The Gazette’s review showed Mr Wike allocated roughly 2,082 hectares to Joaq Farms between October 2024 and May 2025. Officials state that Mr Wike approved more than 3,500 hectares to his son.
“In furtherance of this reckless abuse of office, primitive accumulation and corrupt practices, Joaq farms and Estate (RC 7997441) which has one of the staunch supporters and front of Mr. Wike as beneficial owner, Honourable Kingsley Chinda, wrote to Mr. Wike, in his capacity as the FCT Minister, to request a downward review of Statutory Right of Occupancy (SRO) bill by 92% from #1,605,821,609 to paltry #200,000,000 via letter signed by an ordinary General Manager, considering the Chief Executives are to remain obscure. This request was on 26th of May, 2025. Within a week, including weekends, this obscene request was approved wholesale by Mr. Wike (A copy of that letter is hereby attached).
“Over the years, politicians have been corruptly allocating lands within the FCT to themselves and their cronies and in fact, this was amplified to the unenviable height of impunity by Mr Nyesom Wike as the Minister of the FCT, even after revocation of previous allocations made under similar circumstance to several politicians. This practice has been going on for far too long at the detriment of socio-economic growth of the nation and fair practice. It is therefore imperative that this practice be stopped if Justice were to reign in the country.
“Our organisation won a yet to be obeyed Freedom of Information legal challenge against the FCT Minister in a denied request for information on previous allocations to politicians by the office in suit no FHC/ABJ/cs/1517/2020 delivered by Hon. Justice M.O. Olajuwon on the 1 st day of March 2022.
“We therefore call on the Commission to diligently investigate this act of public corruption pursuant to Section 16 and 17 of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act for the following: 1. Review all the land allocations signed by Mr. Wike since assumption of office in 2023 for his direct and indirect connections to the beneficial owners; 2. Recover the numerous land corruptly allocated by the Minister of the FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike to JOAQ Farms and Estate Ltd; 3. Investigate the involvement of Hon. Kingsley Chinda in operating this private business in the abuse of code of conduct Act as a public officer; 4. Request and secure President Tinubu's interdiction of Minister to allow for your impartial and unfettered investigation of these grave allegations with overwhelming evidence; and 5. Prosecute everyone found culpable following the outcomes of Investigations.
“We thank you as we look forward to a swift action on this petition as you are assured of our support and commitment in the fight against public and private corruption. For any further information, material or evidence, our office remains at your disposal.”
