FCT: There was tension at Gaduwa village, Abuja, on Tuesday when soldiers allegedly blocked Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and top officials of the FCT Administration (FCTA) from accessing a disputed parcel of land owned by a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo (retd.)
The property, situated on Plot 1946, sparked a heated confrontation after Wike questioned the legality of the ongoing development on the site, insisting that the military had no valid approval or documentation from the FCTA.
Show me the documents. You have no documents. We cannot continue with this impunity, Wike was heard saying. Where is the approval given to you?
Visibly angered, the minister accused the military of attempting to use force and intimidation to take over the property.
You send soldiers to intimidate who? We are all from this country. You cannot be higher than the government!” Wike added.
Responding, the officer leading the military team, identified as A.M. Yerima, denied any act of intimidation, insisting that the development was duly authorised.
We are not intimidating anybody. The Admiral’s documents are complete and were submitted through the proper channels,” Yerima said.
The exchange quickly escalated when Wike declared that the military would “never develop this land. Yerima replied that he was acting under orders and maintained his integrity as an officer.
The minister, angered by the response, ordered Yerima to be quiet, but the officer refused, saying, “I will not shut up.
You are a very big fool, Wike retorted. As of the time I graduated, you were still in primary school. You must kill everybody here!”
I won’t kill anybody! Yerima fired back, before the argument ended with Wike ordering him off the site.
Speaking with journalists after the incident, Wike disclosed that he had contacted both the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Naval Staff regarding the matter, stressing that the FCTA would not tolerate illegal development or land grabbing.We’re not here for a shootout or chaos.
But I will not allow this kind of illegality, he said. No one, not even a former service chief, is above the law.
Wike reaffirmed his commitment to restoring order to Abuja’s land administration system, vowing that the same enforcement applied in other parts of the city would be used in this case.
However, the confrontation drew sharp criticism from the Coalition of Military Veterans, which condemned Wike’s outburst and his use of abusive language against the officer.
In a statement signed by Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, the group accused the minister of disrespecting a uniformed officer representing the Nigerian state. How can a public office holder call an officer ‘a fool’ on camera?” the coalition said.
Wike’s action demeans the dignity of his office and undermines public institutions.
The veterans warned that any attempt to discipline the officer would be resisted, adding that they would “occupy the minister’s office and residence if necessary.
He should apologise for his language. Military officers swear loyalty to the nation, not to individuals, the group said.
Responding, Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, accused the ex-naval chief and his armed escorts of threatening FCTA officials.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Olayinka claimed that Admiral Gambo had no valid title documents or building approval and that his security details had “threatened to shoot” government staff.
Because he was told to stop building on land without approval, the ex-naval chief sent armed officers to attack men of the FCTA’s Department of Development Control,” Olayinka alleged.
The military authorities had yet to issue an official response as of press time.
Tuesday’s confrontation adds to a growing list of land disputes involving the FCT Administration under Wike.
Only weeks earlier, the minister supervised the demolition of 11 police duplexes in Apo District for being built under high-tension power lines.
Since assuming office in August 2023, Wike has intensified a campaign to reclaim Abuja’s master plan demolishing illegal structures and penalising allottees who violate land-use provisions.
In a related directive issued Sunday, the minister gave property owners in Asokoro, Maitama, Garki, and Wuse a 14-day ultimatum to pay a ₦5 million penalty for land-use violations or face enforcement action between November 11 and 25, 2025.
