The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has imposed a strict ban on the use of mobile phones by staff of the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) and the Department of Land Administration.
According to an internal memo seen by SaharaReporters, the directive affects all officers on Salary Grade Level 14 and below, prohibiting them from bringing their mobile phones into the office premises beginning Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
The memo, issued by the Head of AGIS, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, reads in part: “There shall be a ban on the use of mobile phones within the office premises for all officers on Salary Grade Level (SGL) 14 and below… affected staff are not permitted to enter the premises with their mobile phones henceforth.”
Sources within AGIS disclosed that the order came less than 24 hours after videos of Wike’s heated altercation with a Naval officer at a disputed property site in Abuja went viral on WhatsApp groups allegedly shared among AGIS employees.
“The minister was furious that the videos circulated among staff. He saw it as an act of sabotage. This phone ban is his way of showing anger,” said a source who preferred to remain anonymous.
The policy has triggered widespread outrage among workers and civil rights advocates, who described it as primitive, draconian, and anti-labour. Critics argue that it reflects Wike’s growing intolerance for dissent and his inclination toward authoritarian control.
“It’s absurd that in 2025, a minister would ban phones in a public agency because of a viral video,” a labour activist fumed. “This is not leadership, it’s paranoia in power.”
As of the time of filing this report, the Federal Capital Territory Administration had not issued any official statement clarifying the controversial directive.
Reactions have continued to trail the incident since Tuesday.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has condemned the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, over a viral video showing him verbally confronting a military officer on official duty.
In a statement signed by its National President, Comrade Atiku Isah, the student body said it was appalled by the minister’s conduct, noting that the officer was carrying out a lawful order from his superior to secure a parcel of land.
“The officer was carrying out a lawful order by his superior and does not deserve to be insulted,” the statement read.
“However, the composure and restraint of the officer show how disciplined the military is. The officer was professional and disciplined.”
NANS criticised Wike for what it described as an act of disrespect and arrogance, stressing that the minister was wrong to attempt to forcefully encroach on land belonging to a former Chief of Naval Staff who, according to the group, had served the country with distinction.
“It is unbecoming of the minister to speak disrespectfully to people. The Naval Chief deserves to be respected and should have been invited for dialogue instead of being humiliated,” the association added.
The students’ body called on President Bola Tinubu to caution the FCT Minister, declaring that NANS would not stand by while individuals who have served the nation in uniform are treated disrespectfully.
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