There was tension in Abuja on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, engaged in a heated verbal exchange with a military officer over an alleged land-grabbing incident at the Gaduwa District.
A video circulating on social media captured the dramatic confrontation, showing the visibly enraged minister accusing and abusing the officer of unlawfully taking possession of a parcel of land allegedly linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff.
“Because you are an officer? Nobody does that! The man took the land because he was the Chief of Naval Staff?” Wike fumed, questioning the legitimacy of the claim.
The uniformed officer, however, pushed back, insisting that the property was lawfully acquired and that his actions were in line with official directives, asserting, “I am an officer with integrity. Everything was acquired legally.”
The situation quickly escalated when Wike interrupted him and ordered him to “shut up,” prompting the officer to defiantly respond, “I will not shut up.”
The altercation grew more intense as Wike retorted sharply, “You are a very big fool. As at the time I graduated, you were still in primary school.”
Despite the tense scene, the officer maintained that he was merely executing official instructions. Wike, undeterred, challenged him further: “You will see if you will not leave here. Go and develop there and let me see.”
As of press time, neither the Nigerian military nor the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) had issued a formal statement regarding the confrontation.
Land disputes and alleged illegal allocations have long plagued the Federal Capital Territory. Since assuming office in August 2023, Wike has launched a series of enforcement operations aimed at halting unauthorised land acquisitions and illegal developments.
Under his leadership, the FCTA has carried out multiple demolitions of structures deemed illegal, as part of his vow to restore the original Abuja Master Plan.
