Wike, military officer’s clash spark nationwide reactions

The dramatic confrontation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, and a military officer during an enforcement exercise in Abuja on Tuesday sparked mixed reactions across the country.

reported that in a video clip widely circulating on the Internet, the Minister could be seen in a heated argument with some soldiers over access to a property within the territory.

The clash occurred when Wike and officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, attempted to gain access to a disputed plot of land allegedly linked to former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo (rtd).

In the footage, Wike is seen in a heated exchange with uniformed soldiers guarding the site, insisting that the developers lacked valid ownership or building approval. When one of the soldiers resisted his directive, the minister, visibly angered, lashed out, saying:

“Shut up! Keep quiet! You are a fool. As at the time I graduated, you were still in primary school… You send soldiers to intimidate who? We are all from this country… If not for the CDS who spoke to me now, you would have to kill everybody here.”

The video has since ignited public debate over the conduct of both the Minister and the soldier.

While Wike’s supporters hail his firmness and zero tolerance for illegality, critics argue that his approach betrayed a lack of restraint and respect for institutional order.

Wike reacts

Following the incident, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, in a statement, condemned what he described as an illegal occupation of a disputed plot of land in Abuja by military personnel allegedly acting under the orders of a former Chief of Naval Staff.

In a Facebook post by his media aide, Lere Olayinka, Wike said the act was “lawless and unacceptable,” stressing that no one, no matter how highly placed, would be allowed to obstruct the enforcement of Abuja’s development laws.

“The Land Departments and Development Control have been mandated to monitor illegal development and land grabbing,” he said. “When this issue was brought to my attention, I directed that nothing should take place there since there were no legal documents or approvals. Unfortunately, soldiers chased our officials away.”