A heated confrontation broke out between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCTA), Nyesom Wike, and some military and naval officers over a disputed parcel of land located in the Gaduwa area of Abuja. The incident occurred at Plot 1946, Buffer Transit, Southern Parkway, where security operatives reportedly blocked the FCTA team from accessing the site for inspection or demolition of allegedly illegal structures.
Wike accused the officers of lacking any legal documents authorizing their claim to the land. He said, “Show me the document proving you own this land; you have no such document.” However, the officers insisted that they were acting lawfully, with one of them stating, “I am an officer with integrity. This property was legally acquired.”
The confrontation escalated into a heated verbal exchange. Wike told one of the officers, “You are a very big fool. By the time I graduated, you were still in primary school.” The officer, however, retorted that he was a commissioned officer acting on orders and would not “keep quiet.” The altercation was captured on video and has since gone viral on social media.
Sources within the FCTA revealed that the disputed land is allegedly linked to former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo, who reportedly deployed armed personnel to protect the property and intimidate government officials. Wike stated that he had already contacted the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Naval Staff, who assured him that the matter would be properly investigated. He emphasized that illegal developments would not be tolerated, regardless of the owner’s status.
Legal and urban development experts described the incident as a reflection of the deep-seated issues surrounding land administration in Abuja, particularly the involvement of influential individuals and security agencies in questionable land acquisitions. The FCTA has warned that it will continue to demolish unapproved structures to restore order and enforce compliance with urban planning regulations in the nation’s capital.
