Drama ensued in Abuja on Tuesday as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, engaged in a heated confrontation with a group of Naval officers during an inspection of disputed land within the city.
The face-off, captured in a video published by Channels Television on Tuesday, showed the minister angrily challenging military personnel allegedly deployed to prevent FCT officials from carrying out a demolition exercise on the contested site.
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In the footage, Mr Wike demanded documents to justify the soldiers’ presence, insisting that no one, regardless of rank, is above the law.
“Show me the document you have. You have no document,” the minister was heard saying.
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In response, a naval officer who appeared to be leading the troops stated that they were acting on “orders” and possessed the relevant documents.
“I am the minister. You cannot tell me that. We cannot continue with this kind of impunity,” Mr Wike retorted. “You cannot use soldiers to intimidate government officials doing their job. This country cannot continue this way.”
The visibly angered minister accused the officers of obstructing lawful government activity and using their uniforms to shield illegal structures.
“Even if you are a lieutenant general or vice admiral, it means nothing. The government must function according to law,” he said.
At one point, Mr Wike alleged that the officers’ actions could have endangered lives.
“If not for the Chief of Defence Staff who just spoke to me, you could have killed everybody here,” he said, suggesting that he and his entourage would have defied the soldiers, who could have resorted to violence.
The confrontation reportedly escalated when a member of the minister’s entourage challenged the naval officer, accusing him of lying about forwarding the land documents to the FCT Administration.
The comment provoked outrage among the armed officers, who became visibly agitated. Some plainclothes security officials and police personnel accompanying the minister were seen shielding him and other FCT officials from the naval officers.
A member of Mr Wike’s team was heard describing the officers’ conduct as “unprofessional” after one of them allegedly threatened to assault the minister.
The naval officer leading the troops insisted that the land in question had been legally acquired.
In reaction, Mr Wike shouted: “Will you stop that? Will you stop that?”
The officer replied, “Sir, I’m an officer. I have integrity.”
The minister responded sharply: “Shut up your mouth! Who does that? Will you get out? When I was in school, you had not even resumed school. Will you keep quiet? You are a big fool!”
The officer repeatedly countered, “I am not a fool, sir. I am acting on instructions, and I am a commissioned officer.”
PREMIUM TIMES reports that the incident occurred amid the FCT Administration’s intensified crackdown on illegal land allocations, encroachments, and unapproved structures across Abuja.
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Efforts to obtain official comments from the Nigerian Navy and the FCT Administration were still ongoing at the time of filing this report.
Mr Wike, known for his combative approach to governance, has repeatedly vowed to restore order in Abuja’s urban planning, insisting that government lands and public spaces must be protected from “powerful interests and lawless developers.”
However, the minister has also faced criticism over allegations of allocating prime land to close associates and family members—claims he has consistently denied.
