…Minister fumes as soldiers block FCTA team in disputed Gaduwa estate
…Buratai: Wike’s actions threaten national security and military discipline
…Revoked military plots reallocated to political allies — Report
By Franklin Adole
Tension flared in Abuja’s Gaduwa District on Tuesday when Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, engaged in a heated confrontation with Navy Lieutenant A.M. Yerima and other armed soldiers over an alleged illegal occupation of government land. The dramatic exchange, which was captured on video and has since gone viral, nearly escalated into violence before both parties restrained their men.
Wike had visited the site, reportedly acting on a Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) stop-work directive, after officials were allegedly chased away by soldiers said to be acting on the orders of a former Chief of Naval Staff. Addressing journalists at the scene, the minister described the soldiers’ action as “lawless and unacceptable,” warning that no one would use military power to intimidate the government.
“I will not succumb to blackmail or intimidation. Abuja is not a jungle,” Wike declared.
“No one has shown any valid land or building documents. We will reclaim every encroached land, no matter who is involved.”
What began as a routine inspection quickly turned confrontational when a visibly angry Wike challenged the officer in charge.
“Because you are an officer? Nobody does that! The man took land because he was Chief of Naval Staff?” the minister fumed.
Lt. Yerima stood his ground.
“I am an officer with integrity. Everything was acquired legally,” he retorted.
When Wike called him a fool, the officer replied firmly:
“I am not a fool.”
Attempts by Wike’s aides to interrupt the officer only heightened the tension, with one soldier allegedly drawing his weapon before being calmed by his superior.
Fresh reports suggest that the disputed 30-hectare parcel of land was originally designated as a park and recreation area and allocated to serving and retired military personnel. However, the allocation was later revoked by the FCT Minister and allegedly reissued to political associates, including a top ally said to be the current INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan. A legal practitioner familiar with the matter alleged that the revocation and reallocation were carried out “in total disregard of due process, official recommendations, and existing approvals.”
“Wike revoked the land and reallocated it to some powerful private persons,” the lawyer claimed. “Unfortunately for him, a former naval chief and serving army personnel had already developed parts of the site.”
Documents cited in the report show that Plot 1946, CZ B13, Gaduwa, was subdivided for recreational development as far back as 2007, with firms like Santos Estates Limited and Curio Ventures listed among the original allottees. The lawyer added that Wike later changed the land use from “park and recreation” to “multi-purpose” before issuing new Rights of Occupancy to selected beneficiaries. Despite ongoing legal challenges, Wike allegedly stormed the estate with “50 armed police personnel and two bulldozers” to enforce the revocation order.
Reacting to the incident, former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (retd.), warned that the minister’s actions represented “a clear and present danger to national security.” In a statement posted on his verified Facebook page, Buratai described Wike’s conduct as “reckless and deeply troubling.”
“A minister’s verbal assault on a military officer in uniform is an act of profound indiscipline that strikes at the very foundation of our national security apparatus,” Buratai said.
“This is not political theatre—it is reckless endangerment of national order.”
The retired general, who served as Army Chief from 2015 to 2021, said Wike’s public outburst “undermines the authority of the Commander-in-Chief and the integrity of the Armed Forces.” He urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to treat the matter as a national security concern requiring immediate intervention.
“Barrister Nyesom Wike must tender an immediate and unreserved public apology to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Commander-in-Chief, to the Armed Forces of Nigeria, and to the officer whose honour was violated,” Buratai stated.
He warned that public altercations between political office holders and uniformed personnel could erode the military’s discipline and morale, creating dangerous precedents.
“Our nation’s security must come first,” Buratai declared. “This is a time for decisive leadership—not politics of military bashing.”
As Abuja’s Gaduwa land controversy deepens, it has evolved beyond a property dispute into a test of civil-military relations, executive restraint, and the rule of law in Nigeria’s capital.
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