There was a heated confrontation on Tuesday between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and an unidentified military officer over an alleged land-grabbing incident at the Gaduwa District in Abuja.
A video of the altercation which has gone viral, showed Wike accusing the officer of illegally taking possession of a parcel of land.
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, dressed in military camouflage, interrupted the minister, insisting that the acquisition was lawful and 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 responded.
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.
‘You will see if you will not leave here. Go and develop there and let me see’, Wike fired back as the confrontation grew more intense.
As of press time, neither the military nor the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) had issued an official statement on the incident.
Land disputes and illegal allocations have been a recurring problem in Abuja. The FCTA, under Wike, has intensified efforts to curb 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.
