Maureen Okpe
A major confrontation erupted on Tuesday in Abuja between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and armed soldiers guarding a disputed parcel of land allegedly linked to retired Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo, former Chief of Naval Staff.
The drama unfolded when Wike led officials of the FCT Administration’s Department of Development Control to the site as part of his ongoing campaign against illegal land acquisitions and unauthorized developments in the capital city.
According to officials, the property had no valid allocation or building approval from the FCT Administration. But upon arrival, Wike’s convoy was stopped by uniformed soldiers stationed at the entrance.
The tense standoff quickly escalated when Wike demanded entry and asked, “Who gave you the order?” The officer leading the troops reportedly replied that he was acting on directives “from above.”
Visibly angered, Wike shouted, “You’re a very big fool! As at the time I graduated, you were still in primary school. You will see if you will not leave here.” The officer, however, stood his ground, responding, “I am not a fool, sir, and you have no right to call me one.”
In a video released by Channels Television, Wike was seen accusing the officer of using his military position to seize land illegally.
Wike said, “Because you are an officer? Nobody does that. The man took land because he was the Chief of Naval Staff?”
The officer, dressed in camouflage, defended himself, saying: “I am an officer with integrity. Everything was acquired legally.” When Wike ordered him to “shut up,” he replied, “I will not shut up,” insisting that he was carrying out official duties.
Speaking to journalists after the confrontation, Wike described the soldiers’ actions as “illegal” and vowed that the government would not succumb to intimidation.
“We cannot continue to allow lawlessness to prevail in this country. What about those who don’t have the military or security to protect them?
“When government officials are carrying out their duties, some people think they can use force to intimidate them. I will not accept that.”
The minister said he had contacted the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Naval Staff, who both assured him the situation would be addressed.
He reaffirmed that his administration’s enforcement of land-use regulations in Abuja would continue “without fear or favour.”
As of press time, neither the retired naval chief nor the Nigerian Navy had issued an official statement on the incident.
Reacting to the incident, Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, alleged that the former naval chief deployed armed military aides to attack officials of the FCTA Department of Development Control.
“Because he was told to stop building on a land he has no title document and building approval, former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo, sent his armed military security details to attack men of the FCTA Department of Development Control,” Olayinka wrote on Facebook.