Tension broke out in Abuja on Tuesday when soldiers blocked the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and his convoy from entering a piece of land in the Gaduwa district.
The confrontation nearly turned physical as the minister’s security team clashed with the soldiers guarding the property.
In a video shared by Channels TV, Wike was seen stepping in to calm the situation and prevent the altercation from escalating.
Eyewitnesses said the soldiers, armed and unyielding, refused to let Nyesom Wike and his team access the land.
One of the minister’s aides was heard saying, “This is unprofessional. You cannot be threatening a minister like this.”
Visibly displeased, Wike condemned the soldiers’ actions, describing them as a show of impunity, stressing that no one is above the law.
The minister questioned the legality of their presence, insisting that no official documents backed their occupation of the land.
“You have no document,” Wike said during the confrontation, but the soldiers did not budge, saying that they were following orders.
The minister added “We cannot continue to act in impunity. We cannot continue this way. This country cannot go along this line.
“You cannot be higher than any government. You cannot be carrying a gun to intimidate anybody. I am not one of those that they can intimidate.”
The soldiers, however, stood their ground, saying they were following orders from a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Zubairu Gambo.
Addressing journalists after the incident, Wike said it was disappointing that former senior officials were allegedly using their influence to grab land illegally.
He vowed not to allow such action to stand as far as his administration is concerned.
“It’s really unfortunate. And you heard what was said by the former Chief of Staff,” Wike said.
“I don’t understand how somebody who attained that position, seeing that he has a problem, cannot approach my office to say, ‘Look, this is what’s going on,’ or simply because he is a military man, they could use that to intimidate Nigerians.
“I’m not one of those kinds of people who will succumb to blackmail.”
The incident has sparked widespread reactions online, with many Nigerians expressing concern over the military’s defiance and the growing tension between civil authorities and security forces.
Watch the video below:
KanyiDaily recalls that Dr. Olanrewaju Tejuoso, the pro-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, had criticized Nyesom Wike for slashing the institution’s land mass from 11,000 hectares to 4,000.
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