Clash with military officer: Retired Lieutenant General sends strong warning to Wike

Former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (retd.), has described the recent confrontation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and a Nigerian Navy officer in Abuja as “a clear and present danger to national security,” warning that it requires immediate corrective measures.

In a statement posted on his verified Facebook page on Tuesday, Buratai said Wike’s actions during the exchange “transcend mere misconduct” and “undermine the authority of the Commander-in-Chief and the integrity of the Armed Forces.”

The incident, which reportedly took place at Plot 1946, Gaduwa District, Abuja, was said to have arisen from a dispute over ownership and development rights to a parcel of land allegedly linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff.

Wike, who visited the site alongside senior officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority, had ordered the suspension of what he termed “illegal construction.” During the visit, he confronted a naval officer allegedly supervising the property.

In a video that has since gone viral, the FCT minister was seen challenging the officer’s authority to oversee the construction, insisting that no one, irrespective of military status, is above the law.

The unnamed officer reportedly maintained that the property belonged to a former service chief and that the military had authorisation to protect it.

Reacting to the development, Buratai said the minister’s tone and public reprimand of a uniformed officer constituted “a reckless act that strikes at the core of Nigeria’s command and control structure.”

He stressed that such conduct “is an act of profound indiscipline” and “a reckless endangerment of national order,” adding that it disrespects the Commander-in-Chief and demoralises serving officers.

Buratai, who led the Nigerian Army between 2015 and 2021, urged President Bola Tinubu to view the matter as a serious national security issue, insisting that the FCT minister must apologise publicly to the President, the Armed Forces, and the officer involved.