The Senior Special Assistant on Publicity and Communication to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lere Olayinka, has told Channels Television that former Chief of Naval Staff Vice‑Admiral Auwal Gambo does not possess legal documentation proving ownership of a disputed parcel of land in Abuja.
Speaking on Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, Olayinka outlined the government’s version of events and the land’s allocation history. He said the parcel was originally allocated in 2007 to Santos Estate Limited for park and recreation, and that the site sits on a road corridor where permanent development is normally prohibited.
Olayinka said Santos Estate later sought approval in 2022 to convert the land from park to commercial use, but that the request — which did not seek permission for permanent structures — was declined. He alleged that the company nonetheless partitioned and sold portions of the land, with some buyers, including Vice‑Admiral Gambo, acquiring plots “probably in anticipation” of approval.
“He was scammed, he has realised that he was scammed,” Olayinka said, adding that instead of seeking redress through official channels, Gambo resorted to showing “military might” during a confrontation at the construction site earlier this week. The FCT minister at the time the conversion request was made, Olayinka noted, was not Nyesom Wike.
Olayinka said the land has now been redesignated for corporate building purposes rather than residential development and reiterated that Gambo “does not have a document showing that he owns the land.”
He also reminded would‑be developers of statutory procedures, urging that building plans be submitted to development control before any works commence, and referenced the original allocation letter as evidence the site was intended as a park.
The comments follow a widely publicised Tuesday confrontation between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and a naval officer attached to Gambo at the construction site. The FCT aide did not disclose whether the ministry has opened a formal investigation, and there was no immediate response from Vice‑Admiral Gambo or his representatives when contacted.
