EXCLUSIVE: Tinubu’s Minister Wike Splashes Taxpayers’ Money On Lavish Private Jet To Italy With Sons Amid Economic Hardship

Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, recently spared no expense as he used taxpayers' money to charter a luxury private jet to Italy.

In August 2023, President Bola Tinubu appointed Wike, former governor of Rivers state, as the FCT minister.

Wike is the second southerner to lead the FCT, following Ajose Adeogun, who was appointed in 1976 as the first from the region.

An internal memo from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, obtained by SaharaReporters, revealed that Wike and eight others departed Abuja on a VIP flight at 10:47 pm on Tuesday. They travelled on a private jet with registration number MLT/9H-VIK GL7T, identified as a Bombardier Global 7500—one of the most expensive private charter jets.

It reads, “Departure of non scheduled flight at 2247hrs. Movement of VIP Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Wike Ezenwo Nyesom with eight other passengers departed mine to Italy via a private jet with reg no: MLT/9H-VIK GL7T.”

After departing Abuja on Tuesday night, Wike landed in Milan around 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday, where he was welcomed by Nigeria’s Charge d’Affaires in Italy, Ambassador Mustapha Mohammed.

Wike said he was in Italy for a series of engagements, including a meeting with the President of the Lombardy Region, Attilio Fontana.

In a post on his X account, the minister stated that he was scheduled to meet with Fontana on Thursday to discuss potential collaboration in agriculture.

“I arrived Milan, Italy, today, ahead of my meeting with the President of Lombardy Region, H.E. Attilio Fontana, on Thursday,” he wrote.

“Tomorrow’s meeting with H.E. Attilio Fontana is majorly to seek collaboration with the government of the Lombardy Region in the areas of Agriculture, especially livestock development and Vocational Education,” he wrote.

A video later surfaced showing Nyesom Wike and his sons posing for pictures with the President of the Lombardy Regional Government during his official visit to Italy.

Wike returned to Abuja from Italy on Monday, March 10, 2025.

Speaking to journalists shortly after arriving at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, the minister highlighted an agreement to establish a vocational centre in Abuja to provide essential skill training for youth and a partnership to modernise agriculture in the FCT.

Wike has previously faced criticism for his alleged lavish spending of public funds during his tenure as Governor of Rivers State. For instance, in 2020, reports indicated that Wike's administration allocated billions of naira to purchase luxury cars for judges and politicians, raising concerns about prioritisation amid pressing economic challenges.

Despite economic hardships, Wike's administration allocated substantial funds for expenses such as rent and furniture for high-ranking National Assembly officials, prompting public scrutiny over the necessity and timing of such expenditures in the 2024 supplementary budget of the FCT.