Dare Babalola
Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), has raised concerns over a recent clash between Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and a Nigerian Navy officer in Abuja, warning that it poses a threat to national security.
The former CoAS shared his view in a statement on his verified Facebook page on Tuesday night, describing Wike’s behavior as “more than mere misconduct” that threatens the authority of the Commander-in-Chief and the integrity of the military.
The clash occurred at Plot 1946 in Abuja’s Gaduwa District, sparked by a dispute over land ownership and development rights linked to a former naval chief.
The FCT minister, alongside senior officials from the Federal Capital Development Authority, visited the site to stop what he termed “illegal construction” and encountered a naval officer allegedly overseeing the project.
A viral video showed Wike visibly upset at the officer’s presence, asserting that no one, including military personnel, is 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.
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.
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.”
He said, “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 added, “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.”
Buratai, who served as Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff from 2015 to 2021, urged President Bola Tinubu to treat the matter as a national security concern.
“Barrister Nyesom Wike must tender an immediate and unequivocal public apology to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Commander-in-Chief, to the Armed Forces of Nigeria, and to the specific officer whose honour was violated,” he declared.
“The integrity of our Armed Forces demands nothing less. Our nation’s security must come first. It is time for decisive action, not politics of military bashing,” he added.
