A staff member of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Mairiga Hassan Shahru, has been arrested and detained for allegedly leaking classified documents, including a Certificate of Occupancy reportedly linked to the sons of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
Shahru, a Land Resource Officer in the Department of Land Administration, was issued a query and later arrested by the FCT Police Command. The FCT Police Commissioner, Adewale Ajao, confirmed the arrest, stating that the suspect would soon be charged to court. However, sources say he has since been released on bail.
The leaked document, circulating online, purportedly shows land allocations to Wike’s sons—an allegation the minister denied during a recent media chat, dismissing it as “false” and “mischief” by an unnamed individual from Adamawa State.
In a query letter dated July 4, 2025, Shahru was accused of “unauthorized disclosure of official information,” “breach of oath of secrecy,” and “conduct unbecoming of a public officer.” The FCTA demanded his written defense within 24 hours.
FCTA staff, speaking anonymously, expressed surprise at Shahru’s arrest, noting that his role in processing new land applications would not typically grant him access to allocation documents. Some described the department as “tense” due to heightened surveillance.
Human rights activists, including Omoyele Sowore and Deji Adeyanju, condemned Shahru’s arrest as a “witch-hunt,” arguing that no evidence linked him to the leak. Adeyanju insisted that land allocations should be transparent and whistleblowers protected.
The FCTA has yet to issue an official statement on the matter as investigations continue.
