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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has ordered a sweeping ban on the use of mobile phones by staff of the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) and the Department of Land Administration, SaharaReporters can report.

The controversial directive, contained in an internal memo sighted by SaharaReporters, targets all officers on Salary Grade Level 14 and below, forbidding them from entering office premises with their mobile phones beginning Wednesday, November 12, 2025.

The memo, issued by AGIS Management, reads in part: “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.”

It was issued by the Head of AGIS, Chijioke Nwankwoeze.

Sources within AGIS told SaharaReporters that the directive came barely 24 hours after videos of Wike’s heated confrontation with a Naval officer at a disputed property site in Abuja went viral on WhatsApp groups reportedly shared 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,” said one source who asked not to be named.

The policy has sparked outrage among workers and civil rights advocates, who condemned it as primitive, draconian, and anti-labour. Critics say it reflects Wike’s growing intolerance for criticism and his penchant for authoritarian control.

“It’s absurd that in 2025, a minister would ban phones in a public agency because of a viral video,” one labour activist fumed. “This is not leadership—it’s paranoia in power.”

As of press time, the FCT Administration had yet to issue any official clarification regarding the controversial directive.

There have been reactions to the incident since Tuesday.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) condemned the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, over the viral video showing him verbally assaulting a military officer on official duty.

In a statement signed by its National President, Comrade Atiku Isah, the students’ body said it watched with dismay as the minister was seen in the viral clip insulting an officer who had been lawfully detailed by his superior to guard a parcel of land.

“The officer was carrying out a lawful order by his superior and does not deserve to be insulted,” the statement read.

“However, the composure and restraint of the officer show how disciplined the military is. The officer was professional and disciplined.”

NANS criticised Wike for what it described as an act of disrespect and arrogance, stressing that the minister erred by attempting to forcefully encroach on a land belonging to a former Chief of Naval Staff who, according to the group, had served the nation meritoriously.

“It is unbecoming of the minister to speak disrespectfully to people. The Naval Chief deserves to be respected and should have been invited for dialogue instead of being humiliated,” the association added.

The students’ body urged President Bola Tinubu to caution the FCT Minister, saying NANS would not sit idly by while those who have served the nation in uniform are disrespected.