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Abuja, FCT – By Prime Brief Media

A fresh public confrontation has erupted between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and Channels Television, one of Nigeria's leading broadcast stations, over allegations of land allocation in Abuja.

The dispute began when Wike, during a media briefing earlier this week, questioned the ownership of Channels Television's headquarters in Abuja and claimed that some media practitioners had been beneficiaries of land allocations in the capital city. The minister did not name specific individuals or provide documentary evidence, but the remarks were widely interpreted as a broadside against the station.

Channels Television responded swiftly and forcefully. In a statement signed by its management, the station categorically denied that any of its staff members had improperly benefited from land allocations. The statement described Wike's comments as "unfortunate and unfounded" and challenged the minister to publicly release the names of journalists he claimed were allocated land.

"Channels Television has always conducted its affairs with the highest standards of integrity and transparency. We challenge the Honourable Minister to release the names of any journalist or media practitioner under our employ who has been allocated land as alleged. The public deserves facts, not insinuations," the statement read.

The dispute has drawn reactions from media and civil society organizations, with the Nigeria Union of Journalists calling on the minister to provide evidence or retract the statement. The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has also weighed in, describing the exchange as symptomatic of a broader climate of intimidation against critical media voices.

Wike, known for his combative political style, has previously clashed with media houses over coverage of his tenure as Rivers State governor and now as FCT minister. His latest comments are seen by analysts as part of a pattern of aggressive pushback against perceived negative coverage.

Neither side has indicated a willingness to back down, and the spat is likely to intensify scrutiny of land administration practices in the FCT.

Prime Brief Media is closely following political reactions and will provide updates as the situation evolves.

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