FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has banned AGIS staff from using mobile phones following a viral video of his confrontation with a Naval officer, drawing backlash from workers and student groups.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has ordered a ban on mobile phone use by staff of the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) and the Department of Land Administration, according to a report from SAHARA REPORTERS.
The directive, contained in an internal memo issued by AGIS Head Chijioke Nwankwoeze, prohibits officers on Salary Grade Level 14 and below from entering office premises with their mobile phones starting Wednesday, November 12, 2025. “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,” the memo read in part.
Sources within AGIS said the move came barely 24 hours after videos of Wike’s heated altercation with a Naval officer at a disputed property site went viral among staff WhatsApp groups. “The minister was furious that the videos circulated among staff. He saw it as an act of sabotage,” one insider said.
The policy has sparked widespread condemnation from workers and rights advocates, who described it as “draconian and anti-labour.” Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) also criticized Wike’s behavior in the viral video, urging President Bola Tinubu to caution the minister over what it called “disrespect to the military.”