WIKE RECOUNTS ALLEGED $2M BLACKMAIL ATTEMPT INVOLVING HIS SON
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By; Sunmola Ganiyat
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has revealed how he allegedly foiled a blackmail scheme in which an individual claimed to have paid his son $2 million in exchange for a land allocation.
Speaking during a media parley on Thursday, Wike said the individual alleged that he handed over the money to his son after a phone conversation in which land allocation was discussed.
According to the minister, the matter came to his attention after a contact at the Presidential Villa informed him that documents containing the allegations were being circulated.
Wike said he immediately directed his Chief Security Officer to locate the individual behind the claims, leading to the person’s arrest and subsequent investigation.
He explained that the allegation unraveled when investigators discovered that his son had travelled out of Nigeria on a British Airways flight on the same day the alleged cash transaction was said to have occurred later that night.
According to Wike, records obtained from the airline contradicted the accuser’s account and exposed what he described as a fabricated story.
The minister further claimed that he was advised by some individuals to quietly settle the matter to avoid public embarrassment, but he declined, insisting he would not yield to blackmail.
Wike said the incident illustrates how senior government officials are often targeted with false accusations aimed at damaging reputations or extracting concessions.
Drawing parallels with recent allegations against Femi Gbajabiamila, Wike argued that public office holders occupying strategic positions are frequently the focus of attempts to embarrass the government.
He also questioned the approach taken by Akinola Adeyemi, who recently accused Gbajabiamila of financial impropriety, arguing that genuine allegations should be presented directly to security agencies rather than through public campaigns.
The controversy stems from claims made by Adeyemi during a June 25 press conference, where he accused Gbajabiamila of seeking a share of funds linked to the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
The Presidency has maintained that the council is fictitious, although reports indicate it had secured office space, opened accounts and received budgetary allocations. President Bola Tinubu has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to investigate the matter.
Adeyemi is also facing separate forgery charges before the Federal High Court in Abuja and is expected to return to court on July 27. Meanwhile, Gbajabiamila’s legal team has threatened a ₦10 billion defamation suit, describing the allegations against him as false and defamatory.
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