A tense confrontation erupted in Abuja on Tuesday between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and a military officer over an alleged land-grabbing incident at the Gaduwa District.
The altercation, captured on video, has since gone viral, drawing public attention to the persistent problem of illegal land allocation in Nigeria’s capital.
In the footage, Wike was seen accusing the officer of unlawfully taking over a parcel of land. The visibly angry minister questioned why the military was laying claim to the property merely because it was linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff, saying, “Because you are an officer? Nobody does that. The man took land because he was the Chief of Naval Staff?”
The officer, dressed in full military camouflage, cut in, defending his actions as legitimate. “I am an officer with integrity. Everything was acquired legally,” he said. His interruption appeared to infuriate Wike, who ordered him to be quiet. When the officer refused, retorting, “I will not shut up,” the exchange escalated sharply.
“You are a very big fool. As at the time I graduated, you were still in primary school,” Wike fired back. The officer, however, maintained his ground, insisting he was deployed to the location on official military orders. “You will see if you will not leave here. Go and develop there and let me see,” Wike warned as the confrontation intensified.
Neither the Nigerian military nor the Federal Capital Territory Administration has issued an official statement on the incident. Land disputes have long plagued Abuja, with the FCTA under Wike ramping up efforts to curb illegal land grabbing, property encroachment, and unauthorized developments.
Since assuming office in August 2023, Wike has led several demolitions targeting what he calls violations of the Abuja Master Plan, positioning himself as a firm enforcer of urban order.
