The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has finally responded to a recent appeal made by Family Worship Pastor, Rev. Sarah Omakwu, concerning the Jabi Recreational Lake in Abuja.
The former Rivers State Governor reacted to a viral video showing Pastor Sarah Omakwu kneeling and pleading with him to reconsider the government’s planned action on the site.
Speaking during a media chat on May 6th, 2026, Wike stated that he would not be swayed by emotional appeals regarding Jabi Lake, which he described as government property.
Reacting directly to Omakwu’s plea, he said: “You talk about the woman kneeling down and begging. I’m not carried away by such emotions. Begging to do what? Who owns Jabi Lake? How does it become your own?”
He explained that the area was originally allocated for development but had unfortunately deteriorated over time into unregulated structures and informal settlements.
Wike also expressed concern that the site had been left undeveloped for many years, making it unsafe and unsuitable for its intended purpose.
He added: “One of these days I went there and said, ‘This can’t be; there is a hotel, and who would come to stay in that hotel when there are shanties all over?’ You don’t know if there are criminals.”
Furthermore, the FCT Minister disclosed that the administration has withdrawn the previous allocation and plans to reassign the land to investors who are capable of developing it properly.
“You cannot allocate land and leave it for that long with nothing to show. We revoked it. Now we want to give it to people who are ready to develop it.”
He further stated that any landowner who fails to develop allocated property within the approved timeframe risks losing it to the government. According to him, such lands would be reassigned under stricter terms to ensure compliance.
“We will reallocate the land with clear conditions. If there is no development within the specified time, we will take it back,” he said.
Responding to the emotional appeal made by a pastor’s wife during the controversy, Wike insisted that government decisions would not be swayed by sentiments or religious emotions.
“To the woman who was crying, if she likes, let her call God to come down. What is my business? How does Jabi become hers? Is it an individual or government property?” he said.
Wike also revealed that several plots located around Jabi Lake had remained abandoned for years, with some allegedly transformed into illegal settlements.
According to him, the administration has intensified efforts to recover such lands as part of plans to restore proper urban development and planning in the area.
“We are not taking anything from the public. We are reclaiming land from those who failed to do what they were supposed to do or who converted it to unauthorised uses,” he added.
The minister stressed that all future land allocations would come with strict timelines for development, warning that undeveloped properties would be repossessed without hesitation.
