By Fatima Mukhtar
The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Lere Olayinka, has shed more light on the recent confrontation between Minister Nyesom Wike and a retired Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo, over a disputed land in Abuja.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, Olayinka explained that the misunderstanding stemmed from a land transaction in which the former naval chief was allegedly duped into buying a plot that had long been designated for public use.
According to him, the land in question was originally allocated temporarily in 2007 to a company known as Santos Estate Limited for the development of a recreational park not for residential or commercial purposes because it sits on a major parkway within the Abuja Master Plan, where building construction is prohibited by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
He disclosed that in 2022, the company sought to convert the land’s use from recreational to commercial, but the FCTA declined the request since such conversion violated the city’s layout regulations. Despite the rejection, the company went ahead to illegally subdivide and sell the land to several individuals, including the retired naval officer.
“Rather than seeking redress from those who defrauded him, the former naval chief decided to use military influence to obstruct lawful FCTA enforcement operations,” Olayinka alleged.
He added that the ex-service chief had no valid title documents for the property and had not obtained any building approval from the relevant authorities.
“If he has a valid title, let him present it. There are proper procedures before one can start building in the FCT, including submitting architectural drawings for vetting by the Department of Development Control,” Olayinka said.
The minister’s aide reaffirmed the FCTA’s commitment to upholding Abuja’s master plan and warned individuals against purchasing lands from unauthorized agents.
The incident has continued to spark public debate on land administration in the FCT, the misuse of military privilege, and the need for transparency in the city’s property market.
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