The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has spoken out following a confrontation with a Nigerian Navy officer over the ownership of a disputed piece of land in the Gaduwa area of Abuja.

 

In a video shared by Arise News, Wike maintained that he would not be intimidated by any member of the military while performing his duties to enforce due process in land allocation and development within the FCT.

 

Speaking to journalists at the site of the incident, the minister said he found it “unacceptable and disappointing” that a senior military officer would attempt to use his position to intimidate government officials instead of following the proper channels.

 

“I don’t understand how somebody who attained that position and sees that he has a problem cannot approach my office to say, ‘Look, this is what is going on,’ but simply because he is a military man, he could use that to intimidate Nigerians,” Wike said.

 

The minister insisted that the individual claiming ownership of the land in question has no valid documents or building approval to support his claim.

 

“I am not one of those persons that would succumb to blackmail or intimidation. You can imagine — where are the documents? The director of Development Control asked for the approval for building, and there was none. How can we allow lawlessness to prevail?”

 

Wike further warned that government officials performing their lawful duties must not be harassed or threatened, adding that such behavior sets a dangerous precedent.

 

“It has now gotten to a level where, when government officials are busy carrying out their jobs, you go and bring security to intimidate them. I will not accept that,” he declared.

 

The minister disclosed that he had spoken to both the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Naval Staff, who assured him that the matter would be resolved peacefully.

 

“We’re not here to have a shootout with anybody or cause chaos,” Wike said. “But I will not allow this to happen. The same way we enforce our laws in other areas is the same way it will be done here. Nobody — whether a former Chief of Naval Staff or anyone else — will be allowed to carry out illegal development on government land.”