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- Minister accuses ex-CNS of land grabbing, intimidation
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
There was a dramatic confrontation in Abuja on Wednesday as officers of the Nigerian Navy reportedly prevented the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and his team from accessing a construction site in Gaduwa District, which the minister described as an illegal development.
The incident occurred at Plot 1946, Buffer Transit, Southern Parkway, where Wike, accompanied by senior officials of the FCT Administration and security aides, arrived as part of a citywide crackdown on unauthorized land projects.
Witnesses said that upon arrival, the minister met armed naval personnel who had allegedly been deployed to the site to protect the property of former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo (retd). The officers reportedly blocked the entrance with a truck, preventing bulldozers from the Development Control Department from carrying out a planned demolition.
Despite efforts by Wike’s security team to negotiate access, the naval personnel maintained their position, insisting they were acting on orders. The standoff forced the minister to withdraw temporarily from the site after making several phone calls to senior military authorities.
Speaking after the confrontation, Wike condemned what he called “an act of intimidation and lawlessness,” accusing the retired Naval Chief of using military influence to obstruct lawful enforcement.
“I don’t understand how somebody who held that position cannot approach my office if he has a problem,” Wike said. “But simply because he’s a military man, he thinks he can intimidate Nigerians. I’m not one of those people that will succumb to blackmail or intimidation.”
The minister alleged that Vice Admiral Gambo had no official documentation or building approval for the development, insisting that his actions were illegal.
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“You can imagine where you cannot even prove where the documents are. The Director of Development Control said, ‘Bring the documents,’ he had none. ‘Bring the building approval,’ he had none. How can we continue to allow lawlessness to prevail in this country?”
Wike also decried the use of military personnel to intimidate government officials enforcing the law, saying such behavior undermines governance and justice.
“What about those who don’t have the military? What about those who don’t have security? It has gotten to a level where when government officials are carrying out their job, people bring security to intimidate them. I will not accept that.”
He disclosed that he had spoken to both the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Naval Staff, who assured him that the situation would be addressed promptly.
“We’re not coming here to have a shootout or cause chaos,” he added. “But I will not allow illegal development to continue simply because someone is a former Chief of Naval Staff.”
Wike vowed that the property in question would be treated like any other illegal structure within the FCT, regardless of the status of those involved.
The incident highlights ongoing tensions over land governance and enforcement in the Federal Capital Territory, where the FCT Administration has intensified its drive against illegal constructions. It also underscores the delicate line between military influence and civil authority in the capital’s urban management.
