By Sanni Abdullahi
ABUJA — An FCT High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, has ordered Jordan Wike, son of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to surrender his American passport over an alleged $2.1 million land fraud.
The order was made by Justice Sylvanus Oriji in suit marked CV/008/2026 filed by Safwan Garba and G.Y. Global Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited against Jordan Wike.
In the suit, the claimants allege that they gave Jordan $2.1 million in cash in late 2025 to facilitate and secure 60 hectares of land in the Katampe and Guzape districts of Abuja.
According to the claimants, the agreement was that the sum of $2 million was allegedly meant for his father, the FCT Minister, to facilitate the allocation, while $100,000 was for Jordan himself as facilitation fee.
The claimants told the court that Jordan allegedly received the cash in London, but after collecting the money, he failed to deliver the 60 hectares of land and also failed to refund the money.
They said all efforts to get the land or recover their money proved abortive, which led them to file the suit before the FCT High Court in Maitama to seek justice and recovery of the funds.
The matter took a dramatic turn when Jordan Wike appeared in court and completely denied the allegations.
Jordan denied ever meeting the claimants or collecting any money from them. He told the court that his signature on the agreement presented by the claimants was forged and does not belong to him.
He further told the court that he was not in Nigeria at the time the transaction allegedly took place. He pleaded alibi, insisting that he was outside Nigeria on the date in question and could not have been involved in the alleged transaction.
Jordan maintained that he has never had any land transaction discussion with Safwan Garba or G.Y. Global Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited and described the claim as false and fabricated.
After listening to arguments from counsel to both parties, Justice Sylvanus Oriji ordered Jordan to produce and surrender his American passport to the court registry pending the determination of the case. The court held that the measure was necessary to ensure his availability for trial and not a declaration of guilt.
Justice Oriji thereafter adjourned the trial to December 1, 2026, for continuation of hearing and for parties to present evidence to support their claims.
The case is expected to hinge on documentary and forensic evidence. The court will be expected to determine whether $2.1 million was indeed handed over in late 2025, whether the signature on the agreement is that of Jordan Wike or was forged as he claims, and whether his alibi that he was outside Nigeria at the time can be substantiated with travel documents and immigration records.
The specific mention of Katampe and Guzape districts, two of Abuja’s high-brow and fast-developing districts, has also drawn attention to the case, as land in those areas is highly sought after and often a subject of litigation.
The matter has generated public interest because of the personality involved, being the son of the FCT Minister who has been at the forefront of land reform and revocation of illegally acquired lands in the FCT since assumption of office.
As of press time, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has not made any public statement on the suit involving his son. The case remains sub judice.
With the next adjourned date fixed for December 1, 2026, both the claimants and the defendant are expected to come to court with witnesses, bank records, travel documents and other evidence to prove their respective cases.
