The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has imposed a sweeping ban on the use of mobile phones by staff of the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) and the Department of Land Administration.
The controversial directive, revealed in an internal memo obtained by SaharaReporters, targets all officers on Salary Grade Level 14 and below. It forbids them from bringing mobile phones into office premises starting Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
The memo, issued by AGIS Head Chijioke Nwankwoeze, states: “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… affected staff are not permitted to enter the premises with their mobile phones henceforth.”
Sources within AGIS indicated that the ban was implemented barely 24 hours after videos of Wike’s heated confrontation with a Naval officer at a disputed property site in Abuja circulated widely on WhatsApp groups reportedly used by AGIS staff.
“The minister was furious that the videos circulated among staff. He saw it as an act of sabotage. This phone ban is his way of showing anger,” one source, who requested anonymity, said.
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The policy has generated significant backlash from workers and civil rights advocates, who described it as primitive, draconian, and anti-labour. Critics argue that it reflects Wike’s growing intolerance for criticism and his authoritarian tendencies.
“It’s absurd that in 2025, a minister would ban phones in a public agency because of a viral video,” a labour activist said. “This is not leadership, it’s paranoia in power.”
As of press time, the FCT Administration had not issued any official statement clarifying the directive.
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