Former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (retd.), has condemned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, over his verbal assault on a serving Naval officer in uniform in Abuja on Tuesday.
Buratai, in a statement on his verified Facebook page after the incident, said Wike’s conduct during the exchange “transcends mere misconduct” and “undermines the authority of the Commander-in-Chief and the integrity of the Armed Forces.”
Wike had a confrontation with the military officer at Plot 1946, Gaduwa District, Abuja, with the shouting march stemming from a dispute over ownership and development rights to a parcel of land allegedly linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff.
The FCT minister, accompanied by senior officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCTA) had visited the site with a buldozer to halt what he described as an “illegal construction”, when he confronted a naval officer allegedly supervising the property.
In a viral social media video, 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,” he said.
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.
The minster then derogatorily called the officer “a fool”, to which he calmly replied: “I’m not a fool sir.”
However, Buratai, in his reaction, said the minister’s tone and public rebuke of a uniformed officer amounted to “a reckless act that strikes at the core of Nigeria’s command and control structure.”
“A minister’s verbal assault on a military officer in uniform is an act of profound indiscipline that strikes at the very foundation of our national security apparatus. It is not political theatre—it is a reckless endangerment of national order,” he stated.
“This action by Wike is clearly an indication of undermining the Federal Government’s authority. It disrespects the Commander-in-Chief and wounds the morale of every officer who serves under the Nigerian flag,” he added.
