Soldiers Stop Wike, Officials From Accessing Land In Abuja

Soldiers on Tuesday stopped the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and his team from entering a land in Gaduwa, sparking tension between the former Rivers State governor and the military.

Report obtained from Channels TV revealed that the incident occurred when Wike and FCTA officials tried to access the land but were blocked by armed soldiers. An aide of Wike reportedly told the officers: “This is unprofessional. You cannot be threatening a minister like this.”

Wike, who questioned the soldiers’ actions, said no one is above the law. “You cannot carry a gun to intimidate anybody. I am not one of those that can be intimidated,” he said. He added that the FCTA had no legal documents allocating the land to the military and accused the officers of acting on impunity.

The FCT minister also condemned attempts to use force to settle disputes, saying, “I don’t understand how someone in such a position cannot follow proper channels instead of intimidating Nigerians.”

The soldiers, however, insisted they were following instructions from a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Zubairu Gambo, and refused to leave the site.

Channels Television reported that the matter is ongoing, and no resolution has been reached as of Tuesday afternoon.