Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
Jordan Ezenwo Nyesom-Wike, the son of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has denied receiving $2.1 million from a businessman for an Abuja land deal, telling an FCT High Court that his signature on documents linking him to the transaction was forged.
Jordan, a lawyer, made the denial on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, while being cross-examined in his defence in a suit filed by Safwan Garba GY and GY Global Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited over an alleged failed real estate transaction. The suit, marked CV/008/2026, is before Justice Silvanus Oriji of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Maitama, Abuja. The claimants are seeking to recover the $2.1 million they allege they paid Jordan in connection with a proposed property development venture involving land in Katampe and Guzape. Jordan has consistently denied receiving the money or having any business dealings with the claimants.
When shown the agreement during cross-examination, Jordan told the court that the signature purportedly belonging to him was forged. He said he did not receive any money from anybody and did not sign any document for the land deal. He added that he only found out that his signature was on the land document on Tuesday, just like everyone else in the court. He also denied knowing an individual identified as Onor Sandy, whom the claimants alleged accompanied him during the transaction, saying he never had any friend by that name and had no deal with anyone regarding the land transaction.
The passport became central to the case after Jordan told the court on Monday, September 28, that he was outside Nigeria on September 26, 2025, the date the claimants alleged that he received the $2.1 million. The claimants’ lawyer, Hamza Dantani, then asked the court to order him to produce the document. Justice Oriji granted the application and also directed Jordan to write his full name and signature five times each on a plain sheet of paper to facilitate examination of the disputed signature. The defence did not oppose the application. Jordan subsequently produced his American passport in court on Wednesday, following the order issued by the judge on Monday. His lawyer asked the court to allow a photocopy to remain on the court file while the original passport was retained by the defendant. The court granted the request on the condition that the original would be produced whenever required.
The claimants allege that they first met Jordan in London in 2023 and subsequently developed a relationship. According to their statement of claim, Jordan later introduced a real estate business to Garba in 2025, leading to an agreement to develop houses in Abuja for sale. Garba said the parties entered into a joint venture under which Jordan was to contribute land, while he was to provide $4.2 million for the development. The proposed arrangement involved 1.7 hectares in Guzape and 1.5 hectares in Katampe New Extension, with the proceeds from the eventual sale of the properties to be shared on a 60-40 basis. Garba was allegedly to receive 60 per cent, while Jordan was to receive 40 per cent. The claimant further alleged that Apostle Associate Limited, Kano, prepared the contract on his behalf, while Jordan provided Creekstone General Contractor Limited as the company to execute the proposed development. However, Garba alleged that he later came under pressure from Jordan and paid $2.1 million for two plots which he believed Jordan had the authority to provide. The claimant said the money was allegedly handed over in cash at a residence in Gwarimpa, Abuja, on September 26, 2025, in the presence of Adamu Sani, Aliyu Sarki and Sai Wani, with Jordan allegedly accompanied by Sandy.
The claimants further alleged that the transaction was not completed and the money was not refunded. Jordan, however, denied the allegations, maintaining that he was outside Nigeria when the purported payment was made. In his court filings, he also challenged the acknowledgment document allegedly bearing his signature, arguing that the passport number on it was not his current number and related to a passport that expired in 2022. He described the allegations as an attempt to blackmail his father and extort money from him. The claimants also alleged that a joint venture agreement dated October 17, 2025, was entered into by them, Jordan and two companies, Apostle Associate Limited and Creekstone General Contractor Ltd, for the construction of 24 six-bedroom fully detached duplexes in Guzape New Extension and Katampe New Extension. Under the alleged agreement, the claimants were to contribute $4.2 million, equivalent to N6.3 billion, while Jordan was expected to provide the land. They further alleged that he insisted on payment in United States dollars.
Jordan is represented by a team of lawyers led by Chief Ogwu Onoja, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. The case has been adjourned to December 1, 2 and 14, 2026, for continuation of trial. The development comes amid heightened political activity ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, and the governorship and state assembly elections for February 6. Nyesom Wike remains a central figure in the political landscape, serving as FCT Minister while leading President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign in the Federal Capital Territory and Rivers State. Wike has publicly declared that he will resign as minister if Tinubu loses in either the FCT or Rivers State in 2027, a pledge that has raised the stakes of his political involvement and drawn national attention to his political machinery in both territories. In July 2025, Wike had insisted that no land had been allocated to his son or any of his children in the FCT, dismissing reports of a 2,082-hectare allocation in Asokoro and Maitama as unfounded propaganda. The current civil suit is a separate matter, and the allegations against Jordan remain unproven until the court delivers its judgment.
For the claimants, the case represents an effort to recover a substantial sum they allege was paid in cash for a land transaction that was never completed. For Jordan, it is a fight to clear his name and distance himself from allegations that, if proven, would carry serious reputational and legal consequences. The court’s decision to admit the American passport into evidence and its order for the defendant to provide specimen signatures suggest that the trial will turn on the authenticity of the disputed documents and the credibility of the competing accounts of whether the alleged payment ever took place. The adjournment to December gives both parties time to prepare further evidence and arguments, and the proceedings will be watched closely as a test of the judicial system’s handling of a case involving a high-profile political figure and his family.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments