FCT High Court Issues Interim Order Restraining Wike and FCTA from Maitama Land Revocation
The Federal Capital Territory High Court has taken decisive action in a contentious property dispute by restraining the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the Federal Capital Territory Administration from enforcing the revocation of a disputed parcel of land in the prestigious Maitama District of Abuja. This significant legal development follows an ex parte application filed by Nanet Hotels Limited, the claimant in the suit marked FCT/HC/M/17103/2025.
Court Order Details and Judicial Ruling
In an interim order delivered on December 22, 2025, Justice Bello Kawu specifically barred Wike, the FCTA, and the Abuja Municipal Area Council from giving effect to or acting on a revocation notice issued over Park No. 2008, Cadastral Zone A06, Maitama. The judge's ruling explicitly stated that the defendants must be restrained "from giving effect to, acting upon, enforcing, implementing or taking any step whatsoever pursuant to the purported revocation contained in the letter dated July 7, 2025 and received on September 24, 2025, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice."
The court further extended its protection by restraining the defendants from:
- Ejecting or harassing the claimant from the property
- Intimidating or disturbing the claimant's possession
- Sealing, demolishing, or reallocating the land
- Otherwise interfering with the claimant's occupation
Justice Kawu also directed the Inspector-General of Police and the Nigeria Police Force to refrain from enforcing or acting in furtherance of the disputed revocation, including providing security cover for any eviction or disturbance on the land. All parties were ordered to maintain the status quo as of the date the application was filed.
Legal Firm Issues Public Warning Following Ruling
Following the court's decision, Nanet Hotels Limited, through its solicitors Ojukwu Chikaosolu & Co., issued a comprehensive public notice dated January 20, 2026. The legal firm specifically warned "all governors of the federation, all senators, all members of the House of Representatives, all ministers, political appointees, developers, investors and the general public" against dealing in any land situated at or derived from the disputed Maitama property.
The solicitors emphasized that there is a subsisting suit before the FCT High Court with clear, binding interim orders protecting the land. Their notice stated unequivocally: "For the avoidance of doubt, no person, authority, agency or developer whatsoever has any lawful right to allocate, sell, transfer, mortgage, lease, develop or deal in any manner with the said land."
The firm issued a stern warning that anyone who proceeds to transact on the land does so entirely at their own risk and would be deemed to have full notice of the pending litigation and existing court orders.
Background and Context of the Dispute
This legal battle emerges amid ongoing political tensions involving Minister Nyesom Wike, who has been at the center of several high-profile disputes since assuming his position as FCT Minister. The Maitama District represents one of Abuja's most exclusive and valuable residential areas, making land disputes in this location particularly significant and potentially contentious.
The court's intervention highlights the judiciary's role in checking executive power and protecting property rights in Nigeria's capital territory. This case also underscores the complex interplay between political authority, property development, and legal safeguards in Abuja's rapidly evolving urban landscape.
As the matter progresses through the judicial system, stakeholders across Nigeria's political and business spheres will be watching closely, given the high-profile nature of the parties involved and the valuable real estate at stake in one of Abuja's most desirable neighborhoods.
