On Tuesday, in Abuja, in the scorching sun and sweltering heat, a handful of soldiers were guarding a parcel of land in the Guduwa District of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Before long, a feisty argument broke out between two men. One is a civilian, the other is one of the soldiers stationed at the site. The civilian is the minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike.
The confrontation between the minister and the soldier is not unconnected to the ownership of the land, with Wike claiming the land was fraudulently acquired by the owner, who he claimed to be a naval officer. Wike alleges land-grabbing; the soldier, dressed in military camouflage, refuted his allegation, insisting the land was legally acquired.
In a viral video of the heated confrontation, the visibly angry minister questioned why the military was laying claim to the property simply because it was 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 said.
The officer interjected and reiterated that the acquisition was legal and followed every land regulation and law, adding that he had acted with integrity.
“I am an officer with integrity. Everything was acquired legally,” he replied. Wike, angered by the interruption, ordered the officer to be quiet. “I will not shut up,” the officer thundered.
The exchange escalated as Wike retorted, “You are a very big fool. As at the time I graduated, you were still in primary school.”
The officer, however, maintained that he was deployed to the site on official orders, adding that he was not a fool. “You will see if you will not leave here. Go and develop there and let me see,” Wike fired back as tempers flared and the face-off became more frenzied.
Land disputes and illegal allocations have been a perennial challenge in Abuja. The FCTA, under Wike, has intensified efforts to tackle unauthorised land acquisition, illegal property development, and encroachments on government-designated areas.
Since assuming office in August 2023, Wike has ordered several demolitions of what he described as illegal structures, vowing to restore the Abuja Master Plan. The minister has also been accused of land-grabbing and allocation of choice property to cronies.
The confrontation is a classic clash of military might and political power. It is an embarrassing spectacle that could have been avoided if the minister had shown more tact and diplomacy, and let reason prevail over brawn and irascibility.
The Minister should have approached the military hierarchy to report the matter or institute a legal action against the naval officer who he claimed usurped the land. The young military officer acted with decorum or civility. The minister chose truculence and aggression.
While Wike has earned a reputation for being abrasive and overbearing and is particularly not liked by many, the laws of the land are clear and unambiguous; they must be upheld at all times, no matter who is involved. The FCTA is empowered by law to issue stop-work orders for many reasons, including when there is no building approval. The FCTA is also empowered by law to seal the premises if this stop work order isn’t adhered to.
However, the minister calling the officer a fool is inappropriate and uncalled for, especially after he claimed to have spoken to the Chief of Defence Staff. In such a delicate and sensitive situation, the first thing to do is not to brag about one’s age or boast about one’s pedigree and denigrate others, but diffuse the tense and charged situation. The appropriate step to take is to calm frayed nerves and douse the tension while respecting every party involved, no matter their age and social status.
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