“My Children Have Right to Own Land,” Wike Fires Shot at Critics

• FCT minister Nyesom Wike has downplayed widespread speculations and addressed the allegations that he allocated lands to his children
• Wike, during a media parley in Abuja on Thursday, downplayed critics and defended the rights of his children as Nigerian citizens to own land
• The FCT minister was accused of allocating 2,082 hectares of land in Maitama and Asokoro to his son through a farming company, Joaq Farms and Estates Limited

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has denied allegations that he allocated lands to any of his children.

Recall that Wike's camp said the claim that the former Rivers state governor allocated vast hectares of land to one of his sons is a fabrication.

In a statement on Thursday, June 26, obtained by Legit.ng, Lere Olayinka, the senior special assistant on public communications and social media to Wike, described the accusation as "another falsehood from the vault of those whose main job is to malign the FCT minister."

But according to the allegations, Wike allocated 2,082 hectares to one of his sons through JOAQ Farms and Estates Limited and 1,740 hectares to another son, Jordan, totaling 3,822 hectares “worth $6.45 billion”.

My children are Nigerians, not Ghanaians - Wike

Speaking at a media parley in Abuja on Thursday, Wike dismissed the allegations that he allocated hectares of land in Maitama and Asokoro to his sons.

He, however, defended the rights of his children as Nigerian citizens to own land, provided due process is followed.

“Assuming, though not conceding, my children applied for land. Are they not citizens? Are they Ghanaians? Even if they applied, are they not entitled because I’m minister?,” he said

As reported by Daily Trust, Wike challenged an unnamed individual from Adamawa state to come forward with evidence of his claims.

“First, calculate land in Maitama and Asokoro and tell me where you’d get 2000 hectares of land. And I know where it is coming from. It is from Adamawa state. I am aware,” he said.

“The whole thing is rubbish. Where in Maitama and Asokoro can you find 2,000 hectares? Bring the documents, bring empirical evidence.”

Read more on Nyesom Wike:

• Group defends Wike amid accusation Tinubu’s minister allocated hectares worth $3bn to son in Abuja
• Mixed reactions as Wike promises pay increase to his band for singing in ‘Chinese’
• 2027 election: Wike mentions what Tinubu did that has "killed coalition"
• Wike celebrates as son bags Master of Laws from UK university

VeryDarkMan tackles Wike in Abuja

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that prominent social media personality, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), led a protest in Abuja.

VDM and several children protested at the entrance of Wike's office.

The protest follows Wike’s announcement of plans to withhold 10 percent of the FCT internally-generated revenue (IGR) statutory allocated to the area councils over the non-payment of minimum wage to primary school teachers in the territory.

Source: Legit.ng