Police in Abuja have arrested four individuals accused of impersonating the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, to defraud a retired military general and others of at least N150 million in a suspected land fraud scheme.
According to a statement issued by Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant to the Minister on Public Communications and Social Media, the primary suspect was apprehended on Tuesday at his residence in the Nigeria Army Post Housing Estate, Kurudu. The individual is alleged to have convinced victims, including retired Major-General A.K. Ibrahim, that he was affiliated with the Minister and the FCT Administration’s Director of Lands.
The suspect reportedly collected over N150 million by promising to secure land documents for Plot 1985, a three-hectare parcel in the Guzape II Cadastral Zone, as well as other plots. During interrogation, he identified two additional accomplices employed within the Urban and Regional Planning Department of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA). A fourth suspect, residing in Durumi 2, Abuja, was also named.
All four suspects are currently in police custody and under investigation. The scheme highlights persistent vulnerabilities in Abuja’s high-value land market, where fraudulent actors often exploit the involvement of government officials to gain trust. Authorities have urged the public to verify the credentials of anyone offering land transactions and to report suspicious approaches.
The investigation continues as police work to trace the full extent of the fraud and recover misappropriated funds. This case underscores the need for heightened due diligence in property dealings within the Federal Capital Territory.
