The Nigerian Navy has yet to issue an official response following a heated confrontation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and naval personnel over an alleged case of land grabbing in the Gaduwa District of Abuja.
The incident, captured in a viral video on Tuesday, showed Wike exchanging harsh words with a naval officer identified as AM Yarima, after the minister accused the military of unlawfully occupying a parcel of land reportedly linked to former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo (retd.)
“Because you are an officer? Nobody does that. The man took land because he was the Chief of Naval Staff?” Wike fumed in the video.
In response, the officer, dressed in full military camouflage, insisted the land was legitimately acquired, saying, “I am an officer with integrity. Everything was acquired legally.”
The exchange escalated when Wike ordered the officer to keep quiet, prompting a tense verbal back-and-forth that drew widespread reactions online.
Wike Labels Military Action as ‘Lawlessness’
Following the confrontation, Wike issued a statement through his media aide, Rabi Umar, describing the military’s presence at the site as “an act of lawlessness.”
“I did instruct them (FCTA officials) to make sure that nothing takes place there, inasmuch as they do not have any legal paper in terms of building approval or acquisition of the land,” Wike said.
He alleged that FCT officials had earlier been chased away by armed naval personnel guarding the site.
“When they came here, I was informed that the military chased them away. So today, I had to come myself after hearing that they had taken over the place,” the minister added.
‘Military Intimidation Won’t Be Tolerated’
Wike also questioned the involvement of military officers in what he described as a purely civil matter, vowing that the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) would resist any form of intimidation.
“It’s really unfortunate. You heard the officer say he was sent by the former Chief of Naval Staff. I don’t understand how someone who held that position cannot approach my office to clarify issues,” he said.
“Because he’s a military man, he thinks he can use that to intimidate Nigerians. I’m not one of those who will succumb to blackmail,” Wike added.
Navy Declines Comment
When contacted on Tuesday regarding the incident, Navy spokesperson, Commodore A. Adams-Aliyu, told The PUNCH that there was “no reply for now.”
The silence has fuelled public speculation, with many Nigerians calling for an official clarification from the Navy and the Ministry of Defence.
Background
The dispute adds to a growing list of land ownership and illegal development controversies in the FCT. Just weeks earlier, the FCTA demolished several police-owned duplexes in the Apo District for being constructed under high-tension power lines.
As of press time, the Nigerian Navy had not released any official statement regarding the Gaduwa land controversy.
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