The Nigerian Navy has remained silent following a heated confrontation between some of its personnel and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over an alleged land-grabbing incident in the Gaduwa District of Abuja.
When contacted on Tuesday for a response, the Navy spokesman, A. Adams-Aliyu, simply said, “No reply for now.”
The confrontation reportedly occurred when Wike visited the disputed site and accused the military of taking over the land illegally. A video circulating on social media shows the visibly enraged minister questioning why the military would lay claim to a property allegedly linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff.
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“Because you are an officer? Nobody does that. The man took land because he was the Chief of Naval Staff?” Wike queried.
An officer dressed in military camouflage, however, interrupted the minister, insisting that the property was legally acquired.
“I am an officer with integrity. Everything was acquired legally,” the officer replied.
This interjection further angered Wike, who ordered the officer to keep quiet, saying, “You are a very big fool. As at the time I graduated, you were still in primary school.”
The officer maintained that he was deployed to the site on official orders. Wike, in response, warned him not to develop the land without proper documentation, saying, “You will see if you will not leave here. Go and develop there and let me see.”
In a statement by the Assistant Director of Press (Office of the Minister), Rabi Umar, the FCT Minister condemned the incident, describing it as an act of lawlessness by the military personnel.
“I did instruct them (FCTA officials) to make sure that nothing takes place inasmuch as they do not have any legal paper in terms of building approval or acquisition of the land. When they came here, I was informed that the military chased them away. So today, I had to come to see things for myself,” Wike stated.
Umar added that the minister questioned the deployment of military personnel to protect what he described as an illegal development and vowed that the FCTA would not tolerate such acts.
“It’s really unfortunate, and you heard what the officer said — he was sent by the former Chief of Naval Staff. I don’t understand how somebody who attained that position cannot approach my office to explain what is going on. Or, simply because he’s a military man, he felt he could use that to intimidate Nigerians. I’m not one of those who will succumb to blackmail,” Wike said.