Reported by Simon Daniel Yusuph l Journalist at Weng Global
Jordan Ezenwo Nyesom-Wike, son of Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, has denied receiving $2.1 million in connection with a disputed Abuja land transaction, telling the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory that the signature on an alleged payment acknowledgment was forged.
Jordan, a lawyer, made the denial on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, during cross-examination before Justice Sylvanus Oriji at the FCT High Court in Maitama, Abuja.
The case, marked CV/008/2026, was filed by Safwan Garba GY and GY Global Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited over an alleged land transaction involving proposed developments in the Katampe and Guzape districts of Abuja.
What the Claimants Allege
The claimants allege that they met Jordan in London before later meeting him in Abuja, where they sought his assistance in facilitating the acquisition of land in the Federal Capital Territory.
According to their case, Jordan agreed to facilitate the acquisition of 30 hectares in Katampe and another 30 hectares in Guzape.
They allege that $2.1 million was requested in connection with the proposed transaction, claiming that $2 million was intended for FCT Minister Nyesom Wike while $100,000 was described as Jordan’s personal facilitation fee.
The claimants further allege that the money was paid in cash and that Jordan subsequently failed to deliver the land or refund the money.
The accounts contained in reports on the case differ over the precise date and location of the alleged payment. Some court materials cited by the parties refer to September 26, 2025, while the claimants’ statement of claim reportedly refers to October 17, 2025 in Gwarimpa, Abuja.
Jordan Denies Receiving the Money
Jordan has rejected the allegations in their entirety.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, he denied receiving any money from the claimants and said he had no business relationship with them.
He also denied signing the acknowledgment of payment relied upon by the claimants, telling the court that the signature attributed to him was forged.
Jordan further denied knowing an individual identified by the claimants as Onor Sandy, whom they alleged accompanied him during the purported transaction.
He maintained that he had never entered into the alleged land deal with the claimants.
The court has not determined whether the disputed document is authentic or whether the alleged $2.1 million payment was made.
Dispute Over Jordan’s Whereabouts
A significant part of the proceedings has focused on Jordan’s whereabouts on September 26, 2025.
When questioned by the claimants’ counsel, Hamza Dantani, Jordan said he was outside Nigeria on that date.
He told the court that he travelled using his American passport and subsequently indicated that he could produce the document if required.
Justice Oriji ordered him to produce the passport after the claimants’ counsel applied for it during the proceedings. Jordan later produced the document in court as part of his defence.
Jordan has maintained that his travel records show he was aboard a British Airways flight from Abuja to London at about 7:56 a.m. on September 26, 2025.
He has relied on that account to dispute the claimants’ allegation concerning the date on which the money was allegedly handed to him.
Disputed Signature and Passport Details
The alleged acknowledgment of payment has become another point of contention in the case.
Jordan denies signing the document and says the signature attributed to him was forged.
He has also disputed the passport number contained in the document, saying it does not correspond with his current passport.
According to reports of his defence, the document contains a passport number associated with a passport he says expired in 2022, while he identified a different number as belonging to his current passport.
The court’s consideration of his signature and travel documents could therefore become relevant to the competing accounts presented by the parties.
The Proposed Abuja Development
The dispute is also connected to a joint venture agreement dated October 17, 2025.
According to the claimants’ case, the proposed venture involved the development of 24 six-bedroom detached duplexes on land in Guzape New Extension and Katampe New Extension.
The claimants were reportedly expected to contribute $4.2 million, or its naira equivalent, while Jordan was allegedly expected to provide the land.
The claimants allege that the $2.1 million payment formed part of the financial arrangements surrounding the proposed development.
They further claim that they later discovered that the plots were not owned by Jordan and that another company had begun mobilisation for development on the properties.
They say they subsequently demanded a refund.
These claims remain disputed and have not been established by the court.
Jordan’s Response to the Allegations
In his defence, Jordan has disputed both the claimants’ account of the transaction and the chronology surrounding it.
He has said that an earlier complaint made by the first claimant to the FCT Minister and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission referred to September 26, 2025 as the date of the alleged payment.
Jordan maintains that he was travelling from Abuja to London on that date.
He has also alleged that the claimants subsequently gave a different account of when and where the transaction took place.
Jordan characterised the allegations as an attempt to blackmail his father and extort money from him. That characterisation is his defence position and has not been established as a fact by the court.
Police Investigation Mentioned in Court Filings
A police investigation report attached to Jordan’s court filings has also become part of the wider dispute.
According to reports citing the certified copy attached to his filings, the FCT Police Command investigated the matter after the allegations were raised.
The report reportedly stated that the first claimant had been given an opportunity to provide evidence supporting the alleged payment but that investigators considered the evidence insufficient.
The report recommended that the claimant face allegations including defamation of character, giving false information to mislead a public servant and attempted extortion.
Those recommendations form part of the material cited by Jordan in his defence and should not be treated as a judicial finding against the claimant.
The Role of the FCT Minister
The case has attracted additional attention because Jordan is the son of Nyesom Wike, Nigeria’s Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
The claimants’ court filings reportedly contain allegations about an encounter with the minister after they sought assistance in recovering the money.
Those allegations concern the claimants’ account of what happened after the disputed transaction and have been contested by the defendant.
Because the allegations involve a public official who is not the defendant in the civil suit, they should be distinguished from the central question before the court: whether the claims against Jordan concerning the alleged land transaction and $2.1 million payment can be established.
Why the Case Matters
The dispute has attracted public interest because it involves a large dollar-denominated transaction, prime Abuja land and the son of a serving FCT minister.
It also illustrates the importance of documentary and other evidence in civil disputes involving property transactions and large financial claims.
Several issues remain unresolved, including whether the alleged payment was made, which date and location accurately describe the transaction, whether the acknowledgment document was genuinely signed by Jordan and whether the parties had a valid agreement concerning the proposed land development.
The court has yet to make a final determination on those questions.
What Happens Next
The case has been adjourned to December 1, 2 and 14, 2026, for continuation of trial.
Further proceedings are expected to provide additional evidence from both sides as the court examines the disputed transaction and the documents relied upon by the parties.
Until the case is determined, the allegations made by the claimants and Jordan’s responses remain competing accounts before the court.
The central issues — including the alleged payment, the disputed signature, Jordan’s whereabouts and the proposed land transaction — remain subject to judicial determination.
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Sources
FCT High Court proceedings in Suit No. CV/008/2026
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The Sun Nigeria
Independent Nigeria
The Nigerian Voice
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