Abuja Land Row: Wike’s Aide Claims Ex-Naval Chief Fell Victim to Fraudsters

The Senior Special Assistant on Publicity and Communications to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, Mr Lere Olayinka, has defended his principal’s actions during the recent altercation with a naval officer in Abuja, describing the incident as the outcome of a “land scam” that misled a retired naval chief.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, Olayinka said the disputed land was never approved for residential or commercial use but had been fraudulently resold after a failed attempt to change its designation.

“That particular land was allocated to a company in 2007, Santos Estate Limited, for park and recreation,” Olayinka said. “The company did not do anything on the land because that place is a parkway, it’s a walkway, it’s a road corridor. You don’t build there.”

The FCT minister’s aide further explained that in 2022, Santos Estate Limited applied for a change of land use from park to commercial, but the request was declined by the then FCT administration, before Wike assumed office.

“In 2022, the minister of FCT declined that request. Wike was not the minister then,” he clarified.

Olayinka said despite the rejection, the company went ahead to partition the land and sell plots to unsuspecting buyers, including former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo (retd).

“Probably in anticipation of the minister’s approval for conversion, the man decided to partition the land, a land allocated to him for park and recreation,” he explained. “He now partitioned the land and sold it to people, including the former Chief of Naval Staff.”

‘Gambo Fell for a Scam, Then Tried to Use Force’

Olayinka alleged that the retired naval officer, after realising he had been defrauded, resorted to using military influence to assert ownership of the land.

“That is why I want to say that the Chief of Naval Staff was scammed. He has realised that he was scammed. Instead of him to now come out and seek help, he resorted to use military might,” Olayinka said.

“After selling land allocated to you for park and recreation, for people to build a house, who should the Chief of Naval Staff go and hold? The person who scammed or the government? He chose not to hold the person who scammed him — the company who scammed him,” he added.

‘The Land Is Public, Not Residential’

The FCT aide maintained that the property lies within the Mabushi area of Abuja, which is designated for public and corporate buildings, not private housing.

“Again, that particular portion has now been designated for the purpose of, you know, if you know Abuja very well, you know how Mabushi is,” he said. “That portion of the land, that pathway, is for public buildings and corporate buildings, not residential.”

Olayinka also insisted that Vice Admiral Gambo had no valid title or approved building plan for the land.

“As of today, Vice Admiral Gambo does not have a title document showing that he owns the land. He does not own the land,” he stressed.

According to Olayinka, even if Gambo had a valid allocation, which the FCTA disputes, he failed to follow due process before attempting development.

“Assuming we’re not conceding that he has title documents and he owns the land, before you begin development of a land, there are processes you must pass through,” he said. “One of such processes is to have a building plan showing what you want to put on the land and take it to Development Control.”

“The question Nigerians should ask Vice Admiral Gambo is, did he take his building plan on that land to Development Control? And did Development Control approve it?” Olayinka queried.

Tuesday’s confrontation between Minister Nyesom Wike and a naval officer identified as A.M. Yarima occurred when the minister visited the disputed site in Gaduwa District.

In a video that went viral, Wike was seen accusing the military of illegally taking over the land allegedly linked to the former naval chief. “Because you are an officer? Nobody does that. The man took land because he was the Chief of Naval Staff?” Wike said.

The officer, dressed in military uniform, insisted that everything was done legally, replying, “I am an officer with integrity. Everything was acquired legally.”

The argument escalated after Wike told him to keep quiet. The officer refused, prompting the minister to say, “You are a very big fool. As at the time I graduated, you were still in primary school.”

The heated exchange, which drew widespread attention, has sparked public debate over land administration, civil-military relations, and alleged abuse of power in the Federal Capital Territory.

As of press time, the Nigerian Navy has not issued an official statement on the incident.