A former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (retd.), has warned that the confrontation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and a Nigerian Navy officer in Abuja on Tuesday poses “a clear and present danger to national security”.
The former COAS and one-time Nigeria’s Ambassador to Benin Republic called for immediate corrective action to remedy the situation.
Gen. Buratai, in a statement on his verified Facebook page on Tuesday, 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.”
The public spat between the Minister and a Naval officer, which occurred over a plot of land at Gaduwa District of Abuja, stemmed from a dispute over ownership and development rights to the parcel of land owned by a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Auwal Muazu Gambo (rtd).
The FCT minister, accompanied by senior officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCTA), had visited the site to halt what he described as an “illegal construction” when he confronted a naval officer and Naval Ratings guarding 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.
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, therefore, 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,” the retired Army Chief added.
