Former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai and former aviation minister, Osita Chidoka have criticised Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory who on Tuesday had a face-off with military personnel over a disputed plot of land.
On Tuesday, videos surfaced online showing Wike in a heated argument with military personnel at a site in Gaduwa, Abuja. Wike with senior officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority, had visited the site to stop what he described as an “illegal construction” when he confronted a naval officer allegedly supervising the property.
In a viral video of the incident, Wike was seen expressing outrage at the officer’s presence, insisting that no individual, regardless of their military affiliation, was above the law.
“You are in uniform, and you’re telling me that the Navy owns this land? Who gave you the right to build without approval? Even if you are the Chief of Naval Staff, the law must be respected,” Wike was heard saying in the video clip.
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The officer, who has not been officially named by the Nigerian Navy, responded that the property belonged to a former service chief and that the military had authorisation to protect it.
Chidoka said public officials must exercise authority through proper institutional channels rather than personal confrontation.
In a statement posted on his Facebook post shared on his page on Tuesday, Chidoka stated that such behaviour undermines the principles of democratic governance.
Chidoka stressed that every security or law enforcement officer, whether in uniform or plain clothes, represents the authority of the President and the Nigerian state.
“To insult such an officer is to erode the authority of the Republic,” he said.
He described Wike’s decision to personally intervene at the disputed site as a serious error of judgement, arguing that governance in a democracy is built on institutions and legal procedures, not direct street-level engagements by ministers.
Chidoka cautioned that a public altercation with security personnel outside the established chain of command weakens discipline and undermines institutional order.
“An officer’s duty is to follow orders from superiors, not to respond to roadside instructions. A minister’s duty, on the other hand, is to act through lawful and administrative procedures,” he stated.
Buratai said the incident poses a clear “threat to national security” and requires an “immediate and serious response.”
“His public disparagement of a uniformed officer of the Nigerian Armed Forces transcends mere misconduct; it represents a palpable threat to national security and institutional integrity,” the statement reads.
Buratai, a former ambassador was quoted saying:
“A minister’s verbal assault on a military officer in uniform is an act of profound indiscipline that strikes at the core of our nation’s command and control structure.
“It deliberately undermines the chain of command, disrespects the authority of the Commander-in-Chief, and grievously wounds the morale of every individual who serves under the Nigerian flag.
“Such actions erode the very foundation of discipline upon which our national security apparatus stands.
“This cannot be dismissed as political theatre. It is a reckless endangerment of national order. This action by Wike is clearly an indication of undermining the federal government’s authority.”
Buratai asked Wike to immediately issue an apology to President Bola Tinubu as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of Nigeria, and the officer “whose honour was violated.”
“Our nation’s security must come first. It is time for decisive action, not politics of military bashing. The integrity of our Armed Forces demands nothing less,” Buratai said.
A lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, has said that the land Wike wanted to take over leading to an altercation with Nigerian Navy officers, was acquired by a firm 15 years ago.
Crediblenewsng.com
