Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Publicity and Communications to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has defended his principal over Tuesday’s confrontation with a naval officer in Abuja, describing the episode as the fallout of a land scam that deceived a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo (retd).
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, Olayinka said the contentious plot of land in Mabushi was originally earmarked in 2007 for park and recreation purposes, not for residential or commercial use.
“That particular land was allocated to a company, Santos Estate Limited, in 2007 for park and recreation. The company did not develop it because that place is a parkway, a walkway, a road corridor, you don’t build there,” he explained.
According to him, Santos Estate later applied to the FCT Administration in 2022 for a change of land use from park to commercial, but the request was rejected, long before Wike assumed office as minister.
“In 2022, the minister of FCT declined that request. Wike was not the minister then,” Olayinka clarified.
Despite the rejection, he said, the company illegally subdivided the land and sold portions to private buyers, including the retired naval chief.
“Probably in anticipation of approval, the man decided to partition the land and sold it to people, including the former Chief of Naval Staff,” Olayinka said, alleging that the officer later attempted to assert ownership using military influence.
He described Gambo as “a victim of fraud” who should have confronted the company responsible for the illegal sale rather than the government.
“The Chief of Naval Staff was scammed. He has realised he was scammed, but instead of seeking redress, he tried to use military might,” Olayinka stated.
The minister’s aide further maintained that the Mabushi plot is located in a zone designated strictly for public and corporate buildings, not residential housing, and that Gambo possesses no valid title or approved building plan for the property.
“As of today, Vice Admiral Gambo does not have a document showing ownership of that land. Even if we assume he does, before developing a plot, one must obtain a building plan and secure development control approval. Did he do that?” Olayinka queried.
His comments come amid nationwide debate triggered by a viral video showing Wike in a heated exchange with naval personnel guarding a disputed property linked to Gambo.
The confrontation has reignited public scrutiny of Abuja’s land administration system, questions over military involvement in civil matters, and renewed conversations about abuse of power in the Federal Capital Territory.
