The contentious prohibition on cell phone use by employees of the Department of Land Administration and Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) by Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has infuriated labor activists and government servants.
According to an internal memo seen by SaharaReporters, starting on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, officials on Salary Grade Level 14 and below are not allowed to bring cell phones into the office.
The ban is a component of a new office policy intended to “maintain discipline and information security” within the agency, according to a document released by AGIS Head Chijioke Nwankwoeze.
“All officers on Salary Grade Level (SGL) 14 and below shall be prohibited from using mobile phones within the office premises,” the statement stated in part. From now on, affected employees are not allowed to use their cell phones on the premises.
All employees of AGIS and the Department of Land Administration situated within the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) complex are purportedly covered by the memo.
The order was given less than 24 hours after footage of Wike’s furious altercation with a military officer over a disputed property in Abuja went viral on WhatsApp and other social media platforms, sources within AGIS told SaharaReporters.
One senior employee claimed that the minister was incensed at the extent to which the video spread among government employees.
The sharing of the videos among staff members infuriated the minister. It was a sabotage, in his opinion. According to the insider, this phone ban is his way of expressing his rage.
After Wike was spotted accusing a naval officer of unlawfully guarding a construction site purportedly connected to a previous Chief of Naval Staff, the altercation, which occurred in Abuja’s Gaduwa District, garnered national attention.
The directive is unworkable and ineffective, according to another civil servant who spoke anonymously. “The majority of us communicate professionally using our phones. “How can we function efficiently without them?” he inquired.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration had not yet released an official statement or explanation in response to the public outcry over the contentious policy as of the time of publication.
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