Mr Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Publicity and Communications to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has defended his principal’s conduct during Tuesday’s confrontation with a naval officer in Abuja, explaining that the incident was the result of a land scam that deceived a retired naval chief.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, Olayinka said the disputed land was originally designated in 2007 for park and recreation purposes, not residential or commercial development.
“That particular land was allocated to a company in 2007, Santos Estate Limited, for park and recreation. The company did not do anything on the land because that place is a parkway, a walkway, a road corridor. You don’t build there,” he said.
He explained that in 2022, the company applied to the FCT Administration for a change of use from park to commercial, but the request was declined.
“In 2022, the minister of FCT declined that request. Wike was not the minister then,” he added.
Despite the rejection, the company allegedly partitioned the land and sold parts to private buyers, including former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo (retd).
“Probably in anticipation of the minister’s approval for conversion, the man decided to partition the land, a land allocated to him for park and recreation. He now partitioned the land and sold it to people, including the former Chief of Naval Staff,” Olayinka said.
He alleged that the retired naval officer, upon realising the situation, tried to use his military influence to assert ownership of the land.
“That is why I want to say that the Chief of Naval Staff was scammed. He has realised that he was scammed. Instead of him to now come out and seek help, he resorted to use military might. After selling land allocated to you for park and recreation, for people to build a house, who should the Chief of Naval Staff go and hold? The person who’s claiming or the government? He chose not to hold the person who’s scammed, the company who’s scammed,” he stated.
Olayinka clarified that the land in question lies within the Mabushi area, designated for public and corporate buildings, not private residences, stressing that Gambo had no valid title or approved building plan for it.
“As of today, Vice Admiral Gambo does not have a document, a title document, showing that he owns the land. He does not own the land,” he said.
He further explained that before any land development, certain procedures must be followed, including obtaining an approved building plan from the Development Control Department.
“The question Nigerians should ask Vice Admiral Gambo is, did he take his building plan on that land to the development control? And did development control approve the building plan?” Olayinka questioned.
His remarks came in response to widespread reactions following a viral video showing Wike confronting naval personnel guarding a property linked to the retired officer. The altercation has since sparked public debate on land administration, civil-military relations, and the abuse of power in the Federal Capital Territory.
