The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike, has reacted to the battle between him and a military officer over disputed Abuja land.
The New Daily Prime reported that a video of the altercation, which surfaced online, captured the visibly enraged minister accusing the officer of unlawfully taking possession of a parcel of land purportedly linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff.
“Because you are an officer? Nobody does that. The man took land because he was the Chief of Naval Staff?” Wike was heard saying in the footage.
The confrontation reportedly intensified as Wike challenged the officer’s presence at the site, asserting that the disputed land fell under the jurisdiction of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
“You will see if you will not leave here. Go and develop there and let me see,” Wike declared as the argument escalated.
Reacting in a release by his media aide, Lere Olayinka, on Monday, Wike described it as an alleged illegal takeover of a disputed land in Abuja by military personnel reportedly acting on the orders of a former Chief of Naval Staff, describing the act as lawless and unacceptable.
The minister said he had visited the site after receiving reports of soldiers chasing away FCTA officials enforcing development control directives.
“You are aware that the land departments and the Development Control have the mandate to monitor illegal development and land grabbing,” the minister said.
“When this was brought to my attention, I instructed them to ensure that nothing takes place there, as there were no legal documents—no regional approval, no valid acquisition.”
According to Wike, while officials of the Department of Development Control were on site to implement his directive, they were chased away by armed soldiers allegedly acting under the instruction of a retired senior officer.
“I was informed that the soldiers of the military had to chase them away, and I thought they were acting illegally,” Wike said. “Today, while I was in the office, I was called again that the military had taken over the place. I had to come myself to see things. It’s really unfortunate.”
He expressed shock that a person who once held a top military position could resort to such intimidation rather than follow due process.
“I don’t understand how somebody who attained that position cannot approach my office to say, ‘Look, this is what is going on.’ But simply because he’s a military man, he thinks he can use that to intimidate Nigerians. I am not one of those that will succumb to blackmail or intimidation,” the minister said firmly.
Wike also disclosed that when the FCTA officials demanded documents to justify the occupation, none were produced.
“The Director of Development Control said, ‘Bring the documents’ they don’t have them. ‘Bring approval for building’ they don’t have it. How can we continue to allow lawlessness to prevail? What about those who don’t have the military behind them? What about ordinary Nigerians?”
The minister maintained that the FCT Administration would not tolerate the misuse of military power to obstruct legitimate urban regulation, stressing that the rule of law must apply to all.
“I have spoken to the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Naval Staff. They assured me that the matter will be resolved. We’re not here to have a shootout with anybody or cause chaos,” Wike said.
“But I will not allow this to happen. The same way we enforce our laws in other areas is the same way it will be done here. Nobody whether a former Chief of Naval Staff or anyone else will be allowed to carry out illegal development on government land.”
