FCDA Staff, Mairiga Shaharu Free After Alleged Wike-odered Detention
Mairiga Hassan Shaharu, a staff of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), has regained his freedom following what human rights advocates have described as an illegal detention allegedly ordered by officials linked to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Shaharu was arrested and detained last week at the FCDA Police Post in Abuja over allegations that he leaked sensitive documents exposing questionable land allocations involving Minister Wike and his sons.
According to reports, the leaked documents detailed the allocation of vast plots of land in high-value areas of Abuja to Wike’s underage children, sparking public concern over abuse of office and conflict of interest.
Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore led efforts to secure Shaharu’s release. Accompanied by lawyers Rosemary Hamza and A.K. Musa, Sowore accused the FCT Minister’s Chief Security Officer of using a forged court order to detain Shaharu.
The legal team noted that the document authorizing Shaharu’s detention bore the name of a magistrate who no longer had jurisdiction, raising suspicions of forgery and unlawful conduct.
Despite repeated demands for his release, Shaharu was held for several days. According to Sowore, police officers at the station claimed that Shaharu was a “personal detainee” of Minister Wike and could not be released without instructions from above.
They also claimed that the investigating officer had gone missing.
Following mounting public pressure and legal intervention, the matter was escalated to the FCT Commissioner of Police, Wale Ajao. Shaharu was eventually released late Friday evening.
Sowore described the detention as an egregious abuse of power and vowed to pursue legal action against those involved.
He also rejected reported attempts to bring Shaharu before the FCT Minister, stating that such a meeting would be improper given the circumstances.
The case has ignited further controversy over the alleged land allocations, with civil society groups and concerned citizens calling for a full investigation into the use of public resources and the potential misuse of ministerial authority.
As of the time of this report, the FCT Minister has not issued any official statement addressing the allegations, and efforts to reach his media aides for comment were unsuccessful.
