The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has imposed a ban on the use of mobile phones by staff of the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) and the Department of Land Administration. The directive targets all officers on Salary Grade Level (SGL) 14 and below, forbidding them from entering office premises with their mobile phones starting Wednesday, November 12, 2025. This was communicated in an internal memo issued by the head of AGIS, Chijioke Nwankwoeze.
The phone ban follows the viral circulation of videos showing a heated confrontation between Minister Wike and a Naval officer at a disputed property site in Abuja. The minister reportedly viewed the video circulation among staff as sabotage and responded with this directive as a disciplinary measure. The policy has sparked outrage among workers and civil rights advocates who see it as draconian and an infringement on workers' rights. As of now, no official clarification has been issued by the FCT Administration regarding this ban.
Regarding images, news reports and social media posts circulating the story include visuals of Minister Nyesom Wike and snippets of the internal memo related to the mobile phone ban. These images appear alongside coverage of the viral altercation video, which contributed to the issuance of this directive.
