By Deborah Nnamdi
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has spoken out regarding his recent confrontation with a naval officer over a disputed plot of land in Abuja allegedly linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday before the FCT Executive Council meeting, Wike condemned what he described as the “audacity” of the retired naval chief for deploying serving officers to guard the contested property.
The minister explained that his visit to the site was to protect government officials who were reportedly assaulted while performing their duties, saying he could not remain idle in such circumstances.
“How can I sit as a minister when government officials are being attacked and beaten up — officials at the level of directors — and I’ll just sit in my office doing what?” Wike asked.
The confrontation reportedly occurred on Tuesday in the Gaduwa district of Abuja, where Wike and his entourage clashed with soldiers over the disputed land.
According to Wike, the retired officer was carrying out an unauthorized development and had allegedly ordered soldiers to assault officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) who went to stop the construction.
He described the act as a clear abuse of power, warning against the use of military personnel to obstruct lawful government activities.
“Many influential Nigerians have had similar land issues,” Wike said. “Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, a former head of state and president, will simply call me and say, ‘Minister, I have a problem on this land, can you help?’ and I’ll look into it. General T.Y. Danjuma will do the same. They never send soldiers to attack anybody. They just call.”
Wike clarified that the incident should not be mistaken for a clash between the military and the FCT Administration, adding that if it were an institutional dispute, he would have formally written to the military authorities for clarification.
