A businessman, Safwan Garba, has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and his first son, Jordan Wike, of defrauding him of $2.1 million in a deal to purchase hectares of land looted by the politician’s family in Abuja’s Katampe and Guzape districts.

According to court documents, Mr Garba alleged that he was forced to deliver $2.1 million in cash at a house located in Gwarinpa, FCT in 2025.

The businessman alleged that he first met the FCT minister’s son in London and met again in Abuja three months later when they reached an agreement that he would help facilitate the acquisition of 30 hectares of land at Katampe and another 30 hectares at Guzape at a cost of $2.1 million.

The court heard how Mr Garba how the younger Mr Wike informed the businessman that $2 million out of the payment belonged to the FCT minister while the son’s share of the transaction was merely $100,000. It was alleged that the payment was made in cash on September 26, 2025.

According to Mr Garba, three persons, Adamu Sani, Aliyu Sarki, and Sai Wani were present when the cash was delivered. The court document showed that a companion of the minister’s son, Onor Sandy, witnessed the alleged transaction.

The businesseman alleged that following the payment, the FCT minister’s son was out of reach and he later discovered that the plots of land sold to him belonged to another person.

Mr Garba told the court that he made efforts to seek a refund in October 2025 without success, prompting him to involve the minister.

The businessman met with the FCT minister in December, but the former Rivers governor was uncooperative and even threatened to arrest him, according to court filings.

The younger Mr Wike, a lawyer, told the court that his signature on the document presented was forged. According to him, he has no link whatsoever with the claimants in the case. During cross-examination, he insisted that he was out of the country around the time he was accused of collecting the money.

“I did not receive any money from anybody. I did not sign any document for land deal. I only found out that my signature was on the land document just like anyone else in this court yesterday (Tuesday),” the FCT minister explained. “I never had any friend named Onor Sandy, and I did not have any deal with anyone regarding land deal.” 

The case was adjourned until December 1, 2 and 14, 2026 for continuation of the trial. 

At the last adjourned date, the court ordered him to produce his travel passport. He produced a photocopy of the passport and undertook to produce the original whenever the court needs it. 

The two areas—Katampe and Guzape—that Mr Garba said he paid the Wikes for are among the property Peoples Gazette cited in exclusive reports last year exposing how the FCT minister allocated over 3,700 hectares of land in strategic locations in the FCT to his two sons Jordan and Joaquin.

The Gazette estimated the plots to be worth around $6.4 billion, with analysts saying the Wikes were not expected to retain all the looted land but intended to resell the properties at lucrative prices.

The FCT minister’s spokesman, Lere Olayinka, could not comment on the lawsuit.