ASUU threatens showdown with Wike over UniAbuja land

….Union demands reversal of allocations to private firms, individuals, seeks Tinubu’s intervention By Joseph Erunke, Abuja The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Abuja branch, has threatened an industrial confrontation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over the alleged unlawful allocation of portions of the university’s land to private companies and individuals.

The union said industrial peace on the campus could no longer be guaranteed unless the minister reversed the disputed allocations, accusing him of disregarding a court order restraining him from encroaching on the institution’s land. The union also called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene urgently to prevent the dispute from escalating into an industrial crisis capable of disrupting academic activities at the university.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Monday, the branch chairman of ASUU, Dr Sylvanus Ugoh, accused Wike of acting in defiance of the rule of law despite an interlocutory injunction reportedly issued by the Maitama High Court on August 18, 2026. Ugoh warned that the union would no longer guarantee industrial harmony if the minister failed to reverse what it described as the unlawful seizure and allocation of the university’s property to private interests.

“ASUU UniAbuja will no longer guarantee industrial harmony if the FCT Minister fails to reverse the unlawful taking away of University of Abuja land and allocating it to his friends and cronies,” the union declared. The dispute dates back to June 30, 2025, when Wike announced plans to recover 7,000 hectares from the approximately 11,000 hectares reportedly allocated to the university.

The minister made the announcement while commissioning an access road to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Academy, located within the university’s premises in the Giri District of Abuja. At the time, Wike accused the institution of land grabbing, alleging that it had fenced off several hectares without the necessary approvals and documentation.

ASUU, however, dismissed the allegations, insisting that the Federal Government formally allocated the land to the university and that it possessed documentary evidence to establish its ownership. According to the union, the university was allocated 11,824 hectares, complete with geographical coordinates, at its inception. “At inception, 11,824 hectares with its coordinates was allocated to the University.

The University Authority would not have on its own located itself to where the University is currently sitting on,” it said. The union stressed that the University of Abuja was a Federal Government institution established for the benefit of Nigerians and not an asset belonging to the FCT Administration. “Let it be clearly understood that the University of Abuja is a Federal Government institution held in trust for the Nigerian people and it is not a property of the FCT,” ASUU declared.

It argued that the land was not surplus property available for redistribution but a strategic resource required for the institution’s long-term development. The union explained that the expansive landholding was intended to accommodate future academic buildings, research institutes, innovation hubs and other critical infrastructure as the university expands its teaching, research and community service activities.

It also argued that the terrain and environmental characteristics of the land made it inappropriate to assess its usefulness solely by the extent of land currently occupied by buildings. According to ASUU, some portions comprise hills and mountainous terrain, while others are preserved as green spaces to maintain ecological balance and protect biodiversity.

It said preserving such areas was consistent with international environmental best practices and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 on sustainable development. The union warned that transferring the disputed land to private interests could undermine the university’s ability to accommodate future academic programmes and research facilities needed to support national development.

While acknowledging Wike’s efforts to improve infrastructure and development in the FCT, ASUU maintained that the responsibility for developing and protecting a federal university rested primarily with the Federal Government. It therefore urged Tinubu to direct the minister to halt further allocations of the disputed land and reverse those already made.

“The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, University of Abuja Branch, therefore demands that the Honourable Minister of the FCT put a stop to the unlawful allocation of the University of Abuja land and reverse every allocation made on University of Abuja land,” it said. The union added that the President must call Wike to order to prevent the dispute from degenerating into an industrial crisis.

It maintained that protecting the university’s land was essential to safeguarding its future expansion, research capaci