The Senior Special Assistant on Publicity and Communications to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Lere Olayinka, has shed light on the recent confrontation between Minister Nyesom Wike and a naval officer, describing it as the fallout of a land scam involving a former Chief of Naval Staff.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, Olayinka revealed that the disputed property was originally designated for public use and never approved for residential or commercial purposes.
According to him, the plot, located in Mabushi, Abuja, was allocated in 2007 to a private firm, Santos Estate Limited, strictly for park and recreation purposes. However, the company failed to develop it, as the area forms part of a parkway and road corridor where private buildings are prohibited.
“In 2022, the firm requested a change of land use from park to commercial, but the FCT Administration turned down the application — and that was before Wike became minister,” Olayinka clarified.
Despite the rejection, the company allegedly subdivided the land and sold parts of it to unsuspecting buyers, including retired Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, a former naval chief.
“Apparently anticipating approval that never came, the company went ahead to partition the land and sell it off,” Olayinka explained. “That’s how the ex-Naval Chief became a victim. He was scammed into buying a parkway land.”
The minister’s aide accused the retired officer of trying to use military connections to enforce ownership rather than addressing the fraud through proper channels.
“Instead of going after those who sold him the land, he’s trying to use force to lay claim over what legally belongs to the government,” Olayinka said, insisting that the FCT authority acted within its rights.
He further stated that the Mabushi corridor where the disputed plot lies has been designated for government and corporate offices — not private housing — and that Gambo had neither a valid title deed nor an approved building plan for the site.
“As of today, there is no official document showing that Vice Admiral Gambo owns that land,” Olayinka stressed. “Even if he had one, development cannot commence without a duly approved building plan from Development Control.”
He challenged the retired officer to produce evidence of such approval, adding that the government would continue to protect Abuja’s master plan against encroachment and illegal development.
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