Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has spoken on the confrontation between him and naval personnel guarding the site of an alleged illegal development in Abuja, insisting that his actions were not targeted at the military but at entrenched impunity.
The minister had visited the disputed site on Tuesday after armed soldiers reportedly chased away officials of the Department of Development Control led by Director Mukhtar Galadima.
The officials had gone to enforce a stop-work order on what the FCTA considered an illegal development. Wike was, however, prevented by soldiers from accessing the site, leading to a tense verbal encounter.
Wike condemned the deployment of soldiers by a retired Vice Admiral and former Chief of Naval Staff, Awwal Zubairu Gambo to obstruct government officials, saying the FCT could not function if illegality is allowed to thrive.
“No country can ever succeed if impunity and lawlessness are allowed to prevail,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how hard you work; once lawlessness takes root, that country will never grow.”
According to him, he cannot sit in his office while civil servants discharging lawful duties are assaulted or intimidated.
“How can I sit as minister and watch government officials being attacked — officials at the level of director? How will they function if they know their principal cannot protect them?” he asked.
Defending his stance, Wike recalled that even highly placed retired military officers with land issues in the FCT had always followed due process.
“Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, a former military head of state and former president, would call me and say, ‘Minister, look, there’s a land issue; please help look into it.’ And we would resolve it,” he said.
“General T.Y. Danjuma too would call. These are retired generals — disciplined people. They never sent soldiers or anyone to attack government officials.”
Wike dismissed claims that he was attempting to confront or undermine the military.
According to him, the issue involved a private individual and not the Nigerian military as an institution. He added that he knew the appropriate channels to handle any genuine conflict involving military leadership.
The minister advised security aides to understand the limits of authority.
“You are told to obey legal orders, not illegal ones,” he said. “If your superior asks you to shoot someone illegally and you obey, will you not face murder charges? You will — because it is an illegal order.”
He vowed that the FCT Administration would continue to enforce the Abuja master plan, especially against those who convert agricultural lands into residential estates or commercial developments without approval.
“Government cannot function in a lawless society. If we allow one person to violate the rules because of who he is, others will follow. That is how impunity begins,” he said.
Wike recalled similar situations during his years as Rivers State governor, saying he had consistently intervened to prevent security operatives from violating citizens’ rights. He argued that those accusing him of high-handedness simply misunderstood his commitment to doing what is right.
“You can’t make everybody happy — even in your own house,” he said. “But once your conscience is clear that you are doing the right thing, you stand by it.”
Reaffirming his support for President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to restore order in the FCT, Wike said actions against illegal developments and master plan violations would continue without compromise.
“As long as I remain FCT Minister, the law will take its course,” he declared. “Abuja must reflect the image of Nigeria — disciplined, planned and lawful.”
Reacting to the incident, Minister of State Defence, Bello Matawalle said the issue should have been routed through the Defence Ministry for proper handling.
“He should have reported the matter to us,” Matawalle said. “If there was any infraction by soldiers, the Ministry of Defence has mechanisms to address it”
