A tense confrontation erupted in Abuja on Tuesday as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and officials from the FCT Authority (FCTA) clashed with soldiers over access to a disputed property.

A video circulating widely on social media shows Wike in a heated exchange with military personnel stationed at the site, demanding that they allow FCTA officials to carry out their duties. The soldiers reportedly insisted they were acting under orders.

“Shut up, keep quiet, you are a fool. As at the time I graduated, you were still in primary school,” Wike was heard saying, visibly angered by what he described as intimidation.

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“You send soldiers to intimidate who? We are all from this country. If not for the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) who spoke to me now, you would have to kill everybody here,” he added, emphasizing that he would not be cowed by military threats.

Wike’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, explained in a Facebook post that the clash arose after the former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo, allegedly deployed armed security to protect a land development for which he reportedly had no title documents or building approval. The FCTA team was reportedly threatened with firearms if they intervened.

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The FCT Minister personally visited the site after speaking with the CDS, reinforcing the FCTA’s mandate to enforce building regulations and prevent illegal constructions. The confrontation has sparked widespread debate over the role of the military in civil land disputes.

The video and ensuing reports have quickly gone viral, with social media users expressing mixed reactions to Wike’s firm stance against the military’s involvement in the property dispute. Authorities have yet to announce further steps to resolve the standoff.

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