Wike Speaks On Alleged $2 Million Blackmail Plot Involving His Son

According to Ireporter Online, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has disclosed how travel records exposed what he described as an alleged blackmail attempt involving false claims that his son received $2 million in exchange for facilitating a land allocation in Abuja.

Speaking during a media briefing on Thursday, Wike recounted that the individual behind the allegation claimed to have handed the money to one of his sons after allegedly contacting him about the availability of land within the Federal Capital Territory. However, the accusation was later discredited after investigators established that Wike’s son had already departed Nigeria hours before the alleged transaction was said to have taken place.

The former Rivers State governor explained that the incident highlighted how public office holders could become targets of fabricated accusations aimed at tarnishing their reputation or pressuring them into making concessions.

According to Wike, the suspect insisted that he was familiar with his children and alleged that one of his sons had contacted him regarding available land before receiving the supposed payment of $2 million later that evening.

The minister revealed that he first became aware of the allegation after receiving a phone call from an official at the Presidential Villa, who informed him that documents containing the claims were being circulated and advised him to verify the matter.

Acting on the information, Wike said he instructed his Chief Security Officer to locate the suspect, who was subsequently arrested. During questioning, the suspect allegedly maintained that the money was delivered to Wike’s son at about 8 p.m. or 9 p.m.

Further investigations, however, uncovered a significant inconsistency in the claim. Wike stated that official travel records showed his son had boarded a British Airways flight and left Nigeria earlier that same morning, making it impossible for him to have received the alleged payment later that night.

He added that investigators verified the information with British Airways, whose records confirmed that his son was no longer in the country at the time the alleged transaction supposedly occurred.

Wike further disclosed that some individuals later advised him to quietly settle the matter to avoid public embarrassment. He said he firmly rejected the suggestion, insisting that reaching any form of settlement would only give credibility to what he described as a baseless and malicious allegation.

The FCT minister maintained that public officials should resist attempts by individuals seeking financial or political gains through blackmail, stressing that false allegations can spread rapidly and damage reputations if not challenged with verifiable evidence.