The Nigerian Navy has remained tight-lipped following a heated confrontation between its personnel and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over an alleged land-grabbing incident in the Gaduwa District of Abuja.
The face-off occurred on Tuesday, when Wike visited the disputed site and accused military personnel of illegally occupying the land reportedly linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo (retd.).
In a viral video capturing the altercation, a visibly angry Wike questioned the presence of armed officers on the property, insisting that no one—military or otherwise—was above the law.
“Why would the military take over land without approval? This is lawlessness,” Wike declared during the confrontation.
An officer dressed in military fatigues interrupted the minister, defending the Navy’s actions.
“I am an officer with integrity. Everything here was acquired legally,” the officer asserted.
Wike, visibly irked, ordered him to remain silent.
“You will keep quiet!” the minister said sharply.
The officer, however, refused to back down, responding, “I will not shut up,” prompting a fiery retort from Wike:
“You are a very big fool! As at the time I graduated, you were still in primary school.”
The officer maintained that his presence at the site was based on official orders, saying, “I was deployed here on instructions.”
The confrontation escalated as Wike vowed to reclaim the property for the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
“Go ahead and develop it if you can. We’ll see how that goes,” he warned.
In a statement issued later by Rabi Umar, Assistant Director of Press (Office of the Minister), Wike condemned the incident as an act of “lawlessness and impunity” by the military personnel involved.
“I instructed FCTA officials to ensure that no illegal development takes place on any land without proper approval or legal documents,” Wike said.
“When they visited the site earlier, they were chased away by the military. I was later informed that the Navy had taken over the place, so I came personally to see what was happening.”
Wike questioned the use of armed officers to guard what he described as an illegal development, stressing that the FCTA would not tolerate such actions.
“It’s unfortunate that the officer said he was sent by a former Chief of Naval Staff. I don’t understand how someone who once held that position cannot approach my office to resolve issues properly. Simply because he’s a military man, he feels he can intimidate Nigerians. I won’t be blackmailed,” the minister added.
As of press time, the Nigerian Navy had yet to issue an official statement regarding the confrontation or clarify its role in the disputed property.
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