Wike's Son Denies $2.1m Land Deal; Court Examines Passport Evidence

Jordan Ezenwo Nyesom-Wike, son of Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, appeared before FCT High Court Justice Sylvanus Oriji on Wednesday, continuing his defence against allegations that he collected $2.1 million from businessman Safwan Garba for a failed real estate venture in Abuja. During cross-examination, Jordan denied receiving any funds, claiming his signature on related documents was forged and that he did not know one of the individuals the claimants said accompanied him during the alleged payment. He produced his American passport in court after Justice Oriji ordered him to do so on Tuesday, following Jordan's claim that he was outside Nigeria on September 26, 2025—the date Garba specified for the cash transfer.

The suit, marked CV/008/2026, was filed by Safwan Garba and his company, GY Global Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited. According to court documents and claimants' statements, Garba alleged that he and Jordan met in London in 2023 and subsequently developed a business relationship. In September 2025, Jordan allegedly introduced a real estate venture in which the parties agreed to jointly develop residential properties for sale in Abuja. Under the proposed arrangement, Jordan was to provide 1.7 hectares in Guzape Extension and 1.5 hectares in Katampe New Extension, while Garba would contribute $4.2 million for construction. Proceeds were to be divided 60-40, with Garba receiving 60 percent. Garba alleged that Jordan pressured him to pay half the amount in advance, and that on September 26, 2025, he delivered $2.1 million in cash at a residence in Gwarimpa in the presence of Adamu Sani, Aliyu Sarki, and Sai Wani, with Onor Sandy accompanying Jordan.

Jordan maintained complete denial of the allegations. He told the court he had not received any money, had not signed any land-related document, and only discovered his signature on the land document on Tuesday (the day before his Wednesday testimony). When shown the purported agreement during cross-examination, he stated the signature was forged. Jordan also denied knowing an individual named Onor Sandy and rejected any involvement in a land deal. Garba alleged that after the payment, Jordan became unreachable and he later discovered that another company—unrelated to Jordan—was preparing to develop the plots. Garba subsequently sought a refund and, after pursuing the matter with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike on December 24, 2025, claimed the minister called him "a liar and a thief" and handed him over to police. Garba is now seeking recovery of the $2.1 million plus N100 million in damages.

During Wednesday's proceedings, Jordan's counsel, Ogwu Onoja (a Senior Advocate of Nigeria), requested that a photocopy of the American passport be retained in court files while the original was returned to Jordan. Justice Oriji granted the request with the condition that the original be produced whenever required. The court also ordered Jordan to write his full name and signature five times each on plain paper during earlier cross-examination to enable comparison with disputed documents. The case continues before the FCT High Court in Abuja.