Nigeria Wike Orders Phone Ban for AGIS Staff After Viral Confrontation

The Digest:

FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has imposed a sweeping mobile phone ban on staff of the Abuja Geographic Information Systems and Land Administration Department. The directive, targeting officers on Salary Grade Level 14 and below, follows the circulation of videos showing Wike's heated confrontation with a naval officer, a move critics describe as an authoritarian overreach.

Key Points:

• FCT Minister Nyesom Wike banned mobile phones for AGIS and Land Administration staff.
• The policy affects officers on Salary Grade Level 14 and below, effective November 12.
• An internal memo signed by AGIS Head Chijioke Nwankwoeze enforced the directive.
• The ban came hours after videos of Wike's clash with a naval officer went viral.
• Insiders say the minister was "furious" about the videos circulating among staff.
• Civil rights advocates and workers condemned the ban as "draconian" and "paranoid."
• NANS criticized Wike's conduct and called on President Tinubu to intervene.

This ban reveals a deepening storm between official authority and digital transparency, where controlling the narrative has become as critical as managing the land itself.

Sources: Leadership