Former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (retd.), has raised the alarm over the confrontation between Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and a Nigerian Navy officer in Abuja, warning that it poses a “clear and present danger to national security.”
In a statement on his verified Facebook page on Tuesday, Buratai said Wike’s actions “transcend mere misconduct” and risk “undermining the authority of the Commander-in-Chief and the integrity of the Armed Forces.”
The clash reportedly occurred at Plot 1946, Gaduwa District, Abuja, during a dispute over ownership and development rights of land allegedly linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff.
Wike, accompanied by senior officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority, visited the site to halt what he called an “illegal construction” when he confronted the naval officer supervising the property.
A viral video of the incident showed Wike insisting that no individual, regardless of military rank, 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 said.
The officer reportedly responded that the property belonged to a former service chief and that the military had the authority to protect it.
But Buratai condemned the minister’s actions, calling it “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 theatreit is a reckless endangerment of national order.”
The retired general urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to treat the matter as a national security concern and called for an immediate public apology from Wike.
“Barrister Nyesom Wike must tender an unequivocal public apology to the Commander-in-Chief, the Armed Forces of Nigeria, and the specific officer whose honour was violated,” Buratai said.
“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.
