By Story No Clear (SNC)
The Scandal That Stops Nigeria in Its Tracks
Imagine waking up to discover that while you’re hustling to pay rent in Lugbe, someone’s children just “secured” enough land in Abuja to build ten Banana Islands. Imagine the scale of it: 3,822 hectares of Abuja land — that’s bigger than many Nigerian towns — valued at $6.45 billion (₦10 trillion), allegedly allocated to the sons of Nigeria’s Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
If this were just another corruption story, Nigerians might roll their eyes and move on. But this one? This one hits differently. Because it’s not just about money. It’s about the soul of Abuja, the future of land ownership, and the brazen way power is being inherited by bloodlines, not by merit.
How Big Is ₦10 Trillion, Really?
Let’s break it down:
₦10 trillion is more than the combined education and health budgets of Nigeria in recent years. It could build 20,000 schools across the country. It could fund 2,000 modern hospitals — one in every LGA. It could fix multiple Lagos-Ibadan expressways, with change left for flyovers.
Instead, that staggering value is now tied to the names of two young men who happen to share their father’s surname.
Meanwhile, ordinary Nigerians are still fighting to survive NEPA darkness, galloping inflation, and landlords demanding 2 years’ rent upfront for apartments without running water.
The Allegations
According to opposition parties and public documents now circulating, 3,822 hectares of land in the Federal Capital Territory were quietly allocated to the Minister’s sons. No public bidding, no national debate, no clear explanation of process — just a transfer of what is essentially public wealth into private family pockets.
The Labour Party has demanded that President Bola Tinubu immediately suspend and investigate the Minister, describing the allocation as “land robbery.” Civil society groups are preparing FOI (Freedom of Information) requests to uncover the details.
The Human Cost
This is not just about hectares and billions. Land in Abuja is not “empty.” It is home. For every hectare, there are stories: families farming, communities living, small businesses renting, and ordinary Nigerians who dream of one day owning a plot in the capital.
Now imagine being told: “Sorry, pack your bags, this land now belongs to oga pikin.”
If enforced, this allocation could mean forced evictions and displacement of entire communities — the kind of human tragedy Nigeria has seen too often in places like Mpape and Gwagwalada.
Nepotism on Steroids
Nigeria has always suffered from political nepotism. But this? This is nepotism on steroids.
It’s not “my cousin got a job at NNPC.” It’s not “my brother got appointed as PA to the governor.” It’s billions of dollars in land assets being transferred to teenagers and young adults simply because their father holds office.
If unchecked, this will set a precedent: ministers, governors, and leaders carving up the nation’s wealth like personal inheritance.
The Bigger Question: Who Owns Abuja?
Abuja was meant to be Nigeria’s neutral capital, owned by all Nigerians. But today, it is rapidly becoming a private estate for the ruling elite.
If the Minister of FCT can allocate nearly 4,000 hectares to his family, what stops the next minister from giving half of Asokoro to his cousins? What stops Abuja from becoming a closed city where ordinary Nigerians will never own a single square meter?
This scandal isn’t just about Wike. It’s about whether Nigerians will allow their capital city to be stolen in plain sight.
What Needs to Happen
Immediate Suspension and Investigation President Tinubu must show Nigerians that Abuja is not up for sale. Anything less will be read as complicity. Publication of Land Records The FCT Land Registry must release all documents related to this allocation. Who signed? When? Under what authority? Citizen Pushback Civil society, student unions, residents, and ordinary Nigerians must demand accountability. Because if ₦10 trillion can vanish into two pockets today, tomorrow it will be ₦20 trillion. Global Attention This scandal must be framed not just as “politics as usual” but as one of the largest single acts of nepotism in modern African history.
Final Word
Nigerians have seen corruption before. We’ve seen padded budgets, oil subsidy fraud, and ghost workers. But this is different. This is the theft of the ground we walk on, the land beneath our feet.
If we stay silent, Abuja becomes their family estate, and Nigeria becomes nothing more than a hand-me-down for political dynasties.
The Abuja Land Scandal is a test. A test of our anger. A test of our courage. And a test of whether Nigerians will finally say: “Enough. The land belongs to us.”
✍🏾 Published by Story No Clear (SNC)
Where the truth is never watered down.