Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of allegedly allocating portions of Jabi Lake Resort land to himself and backing private development on land originally reserved for public recreation.
Sowore made the allegation during a visit to Jabi Lake Park in Abuja alongside members of the Take It Back Movement, where he also displayed banners calling for the protection of the park and opposing what he described as the “privatisation of public land.”
He claimed that about three acres of the park’s land had been allocated for personal or private use, out of a larger public space originally designated for recreational purposes under earlier urban planning decisions.
According to him, concerned residents and park users informed him that parts of the land were being developed despite its status as a public recreational facility meant for residents of the Federal Capital Territory.
Sowore argued that the park serves as an important social and economic space for Abuja residents, including small traders, fitness users, families, and low-income earners who rely on it for relaxation and livelihood activities.
He further called for a planned protest to resist what he described as illegal takeover of public spaces, insisting that such areas should be preserved for community use rather than private development.
The allegations come amid growing public debate over land use, urban development, and the preservation of green spaces in Abuja, with activists and residents increasingly challenging government-approved reallocations of public recreational areas.
Neither Wike nor the Federal Capital Territory Administration has issued an official response to the specific allegations at the time of reporting.