Barr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, FCT Minister
The ongoing fallout from the Abuja land allocation scandal involving FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has taken a new turn, as police have arrested an official of the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) suspected of leaking sensitive documents tied to the controversial land deals.
The arrested civil servant, Mairiga Hassan Shaharu, works in the Fresh Applications Unit of AGIS, which processes new land filings. He was picked up by police detectives on Tuesday afternoon, with his whereabouts still unknown as of Wednesday morning. His family fears he may be undergoing mistreatment in custody.
Sources within the FCT administration say Mr Shaharu’s arrest is part of a broader, frantic attempt by the minister and his allies to identify the source of leaked documents that exposed how Wike allegedly allocated at least 3,822 hectares of prime land—worth over \$6.45 billion—to companies linked to his sons, Jordan and Joaquin.
The documents, which sparked widespread public outrage, showed that the allocations were made shortly after the companies were registered and often involved plots seized from prior owners under questionable claims of non-compliance. The revelations have prompted accusations of self-dealing and abuse of office against the minister.
Officials familiar with internal developments say Wike has grown increasingly paranoid, allegedly lashing out at staff and even family members, and is now wrongly targeting lower-level officials with no connection to the leaks.
“He’s confused and moving fast, which is why he keeps making mistakes,” a source said. “Shaharu is just a junior staff doing his job. This arrest sends a chilling message to others who may have access to the truth.”
There has been no official response from the minister’s office regarding the arrest, and the police have yet to release formal charges.
While the presidency ordered an internal probe after the initial reports surfaced, it has so far declined to comment further, leaving many Nigerians questioning how far accountability will go in a case that strikes at the heart of public trust and the integrity of land administration in the FCT.
