The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has addressed his recent confrontation with a naval officer over a contested plot of land reportedly linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff.
In a briefing with journalists on Thursday ahead of FCT Executive Council meeting, Wike criticised what he described as the retired naval chief’s audacity in deploying active-duty officers to guard the disputed property.
Defending his presence at the site amid public scrutiny, the minister emphasized that he could not remain passive while government officials were under attack, stressing his duty as a public officer to intervene in such situations.
READ ALSO: Wike, Soldiers Face-Off Over Land Issues In Abuja
“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?” he asked.
Channels Television reported that things got heated between Wike, his entourage, and some soldiers on Tuesday over a land in the Gaduwa district of the area.
The minister alleged that the retired naval officer was undertaking unauthorized development on the contested plot and confronted the naval officer over the alleged assault of Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) staff who had gone to halt the construction.
Speaking on the issue on Thursday, the former Rivers State governor criticized the deployment of military personnel to impede the lawful enforcement actions of FCT officials, describing it as an unacceptable abuse of authority.
“Many influential Nigerians have had similar land issues. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, a former head of state and president, will simply call me. He’ll say, ‘Minister, I have a problem on this land, can you help?’ and I’ll solve it.
“That is a former head of state, a former elected president, who has the courtesy to call the minister, ‘we have this problem, see how you can look into it?’ General T.Y. Danjuma will call you. They never sent soldiers to attack anybody. They just call,” Wike said.
The minister emphasized that the dispute is not a conflict between the military and the government, noting that, if it were, he would have formally written to the military seeking clarification.
He stressed that all parties must adhere to due process and honor officially approved land allocations.
Wike also reiterated his respect for all government institutions, including the military, emphasizing that his involvement in the incident was aimed solely at restoring order.
Watch the video of Wike’s encounter with the naval officer below: