Wike, Soldiers Clash Over Land Dispute in Abuja
FCT Minister Accuses Military Officers of Acting with Impunity
Tensions flared between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, his entourage, and a group of soldiers after he was prevented from accessing a parcel of land in the Gaduwa district of Abuja.
“This is unprofessional. You cannot be threatening a minister like this,” one of the officials accompanying Wike told the soldiers as the minister and his team attempted to gain entry to the site.
Visibly displeased by the encounter, the minister challenged the conduct of the military personnel, asserting that no one is above the law.
Wike questioned the development taking place on the land, alleging that proper procedures had not been followed.
“You have no document,” the FCT minister said during the standoff on Tuesday. However, the soldiers stood their ground, insisting they were acting on orders.
“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,” he said.
Following the heated exchange, Wike accused the officers of operating with impunity and maintained that there was no record within the FCTA’s documentation indicating any legal allocation of the land to them.
He vowed that such actions would not be tolerated under his administration.
“It’s really unfortunate. And you heard what was said by the former Chief of Staff,” Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, 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,” he added.
Despite the minister’s objections, the soldiers refused to vacate the land, stating they were acting on directives issued by former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Zubairu Gambo.
