Judiciary
$2.1m Abuja land suit: My client never collected a dime — Jordan Wike’s lawyer
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dr James Ogwu Onoja, has warned bloggers and social media commentators to stop spreading falsehood over the $2.1 million civil suit filed against Jordan Nyesom-Wike by one Safwan Garba over an Abuja land deal.
Onoja, lead counsel to Jordan Nyesom-Wike, said any blogger or commentator who continues to push the false narrative would face both criminal and civil actions for malicious falsehood, cyberbullying, slander and libel.
His reaction followed an interview granted by I.G. Wuru, counsel to Safwan Garba, where he allegedly insinuated that Jordan Wike admitted receiving the disputed $2.1m from the plaintiff.
Social media commentators, especially Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), and several bloggers were said to have latched onto the claim and amplified it.
In a statement on Friday in Abuja, Onoja said his client never at any time admitted receiving any money from Safwan Garba.
He demanded immediate pull-down of such publications.
The statement reads in part: “Our attention has been drawn to stories on series of blogs, comments and conclusions on social media by mischief makers and promoters of falsehood, attributed to the media briefing and interview granted by I.G. Waru, Esq., the lawyer to Safwan Garba, in respect of the suit presently pending at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja in Suit No: FCT/HC/CV/008/2026.
“In the unverified reports, it was aired most maliciously that Jordan Wike admitted receiving $2.1 million for Abuja property. This story circulated by Sahara Reporters and Very Darkman is most reprehensible.
“This haze of lies and malicious fabrication appears to be an orchestrated media campaign intended to whip up sentiments, compromise the mind of the public and intimidate the judge.
“For the records, Jordan Wike in his defence before the court stated in unequivocal terms that he has never met Safwan Garba G.Y. or any of his agents at any time. He maintained this line of defence while giving evidence in court on the 28th and 30th September, 2026.”
Onoja expressed bafflement that Wuru granted the interview weeks after court proceedings, at the Federal High Court Abuja, misrepresenting what transpired at the FCT High Court.
He said his team had refrained from commenting because the matter is sub judice, but was forced to speak due to “daily name-calling” and barrage of lies against his client.
“One key point to note is that, contrary to the news making the rounds regarding the petition to the EFCC, we as lawyers to Jordan Nyesom-Wike exhibited the said letter to unearth the inconsistencies in the stories and claims of Safwan Garba,” he added.
He accused Safwan Garba of withholding the vital document from the court and failing to follow up with the EFCC after realizing the lies were “too conspicuous.”
“We urge the general public to disregard the vicious and barefaced lies of Safwan Garba and flagrant misrepresentation of his lawyer, whose conduct is contemptuous and unethical,” the statement said.
“Any member of the public, bloggers or media houses who continue to propagate this blatant falsehood against Jordan Nyesom-Wike will be susceptible to both criminal and civil actions.”