A staff of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Hassan Mairiga Shahru, has been arrested and briefly detained over allegations of leaking official documents related to land allocations.
The FCT Police Commissioner, Adewale Ajao, confirmed Shahru’s arrest and said he would be charged to court following investigations.
Although the exact cause of the disciplinary action has not been independently verified, sources claim Shahru leaked the certificate of occupancy reportedly linked to land allocations made to the sons of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
Wike has denied the allegations, describing them as false and politically motivated.
A leaked query letter accused Shahru of unauthorised disclosure of information, breach of official secrecy, and misconduct, citing violations of public service rules.
Several staff members of the FCTA’s land department confirmed Shahru’s arrest on Friday for allegedly leaking official documents.
Speaking anonymously due to fear of victimisation, the staff who spoke described the atmosphere at the department as “tense”, due to what they put as “increased monitoring by top management”.
Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore also weighed in, alleging that Shahru’s detention was unlawful and linked to efforts to suppress information.
The FCTA has yet to issue an official statement beyond the minister’s public denial of the allocation allegedly linked to his sons.