Abuja land clash: Ex-Naval chief was scammed — Wike’s aide

The Senior Special Assistant on Publicity and Communications to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Lere Olayinka, has alleged that the former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo (retd), was scammed in the controversial Abuja land dispute involving his principal, Nyesom Wike.

Olayinka, who spoke on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Wednesday, said the confrontation between Wike and a naval officer, Lieutenant AM Yerima, on Tuesday stemmed from a land scam that misled the retired naval chief.

He explained that the disputed plot was originally allocated in 2007 for park and recreation purposes, not for 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, it’s a walkway, it’s a road corridor. You don’t build there,” Olayinka said.

He added that in 2022, the company applied for a change of land use from park to commercial, but the FCT Administration declined the request.

“In 2022, the minister of FCT declined that request. Wike was not the minister then,” he noted.

According to him, despite the rejection, the company illegally partitioned and sold the land to private individuals, including Gambo.

“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,” he explained.

Olayinka alleged that rather than seek redress, the retired naval officer attempted to use military influence to assert ownership of the disputed 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 said.

He clarified that the property lies within the Mabushi area, which is designated for public and corporate buildings, not private residences, adding that Gambo had no valid title or approved building plan for the land.

“Again, that particular portion has now been designated for the purpose of, you know, if you know Abuja very well, you know how Mabushi is.

“That is where you have Ministry of Works environment. That portion of the land, that pathway is for public buildings and corporate buildings, not residential, meaning that you cannot build residential house there.

“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,” Olayinka said.

He further explained that even if ownership were assumed, the retired naval chief failed to follow the necessary processes for development.

“Assuming we’re not conceding that he has title documents and he owns the land, before you begin development of a land, there are processes you must pass through.

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“One of such processes is to have a building plan, building plan showing what you want to put on the land. And you take your building plan to the development control.

“The question Nigerians should ask Vice Admiral Gambo is, did he take his building plan on that land to development control? And did development control approve the building plan?” he asked.

Olayinka’s comments followed widespread reactions to a viral video showing Wike confronting naval personnel guarding a property linked to the retired officer.

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