Alleged land grabbing: Outstanding Nigerians, legal professionals specific issues over Wike’s conflict with troopers
Confrontations might undermine civil-military relationships — Analysts warn
Some outstanding Nigerians have reacted in a different way to the confrontation between the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and an officer of the Nigerian Navy, Lieutenant A. M. Yerima over an alleged land-grabbing incident on the Gaduwa District in Abuja.
A video of the altercation confirmed Wike accusing the officer of illegally taking possession of a parcel of land on Tuesday.
The visibly indignant minister questioned why the army was laying declare to the property just because it was linked to a former Chief of Naval Employees.
Arms-wielding troopers had prevented the minister and a group from the Federal Capital Territory Administration from accessing the property owned by former Chief of Naval Employees, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo.
“Since you are an officer? No person does that. The person took land as a result of he was the Chief of Naval Employees?” Wike mentioned.
Whereas stopping Wike and different officers of the Federal Capital Territory from accessing the parcel of land, the army officer, calmly knowledgeable the minister that he was ordered to make sure that nobody enters into the premises.
“I’m solely following my superior’s order,” he mentioned as Wike and his group have been pressured to exit the land.
Lere Olayinka, Senior Particular Assistant to Minister of Federal Capital Territory on Social Media, shed extra mild on the encounter between his principal and troopers, saying the troopers threatened to shoot anybody who enters the land.
“As a result of he was instructed to cease constructing on a land he has no TITLE DOCUMENT and Constructing Approval, former Chief of Naval Employees, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo, despatched his Armed Navy Safety Particulars to assault males of the FCTA Division of Growth Management.
“He additionally stationed armed Navy Males to guard the unlawful growth, with the Navy Males threatening to shoot anybody who intervene with them.
“Right now (Tuesday) the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, visited the location, after speaking to the Chief of Defence Employees on Telephone.”
Wike had requested why the troopers mounted a siege to the property just because it was linked to a former Chief of Naval Employees.
“Since you are an officer? No person does that. The person took land as a result of he was the Chief of Naval Employees?” Wike mentioned.
However the officer objected saying the acquisition was lawful.
“I’m an officer with integrity. Every thing was acquired legally,” he replied.
“Shut up,” Wike thundered, to which the officer responded, “I can’t shut up.”
“You’re a very huge idiot. As on the time I graduated, you have been nonetheless in major college,” Wike shouted.
“I’m not a idiot sir, I’m not a idiot sir, I’m not a idiot sir, I’m not a idiot, sir. I’m performing on orders, I’m performing on orders, I’m performing on orders, I’m performing on orders,” the officer replied.
“You will note if you’ll not go away right here. Go and develop there and let me see,” the minister had mentioned.
The safety males in Wike’s entourage had earlier tried to steer the troopers to permit Wike entry the land however they refused,
“We can’t proceed to behave in impunity. We can’t proceed this fashion. This nation can’t go alongside this line.”
“You can’t be greater than any authorities. You can’t be carrying a gun to intimidate anyone. I’m not a type of that they’ll intimidate,” the minister shouted, but the troopers who mentioned they have been performing on orders from above refused to permit him go in.
“I don’t perceive how anyone who attained that place, seeing that he has an issue, can’t strategy my workplace to say, ‘Look, that is what’s occurring,’ or just because he’s a army man, they may use that to intimidate Nigerians.”
Wike, apparently provoked, tongue-lashed the army officer. However the officer instructed the minister that he was performing on superior order.
Giving his aspect of the encounter whereas addressing journalists, Wike described the state of affairs as “unlucky”, vowing not succumb to blackmail or intimidation.
He defined that the FCT administration had been investigating potential unlawful developments within the space.
He recounted that the army intervened through the enforcement of FCT directives, which prompted the confrontation.
“Once they got here right here, I used to be knowledgeable that the army got here to chase them away, and I assumed they have been performing illegally.
“So right now, whereas I used to be within the workplace, they got here to implement the directive that was given to them on my own. I used to be instructed that the army had taken over the place, and I needed to come on my own. It’s actually unlucky,” Wike mentioned.
The minister criticised the officer for allegedly utilizing his army background to intimidate officers.
“I don’t perceive how anyone who attained that place sees that he has an issue and can’t strategy my workplace to say, ‘look, that is what’s going on,’ however just because he’s a army man, he might use that to intimidate Nigerians. I’m not one who will succumb to blackmail or intimidation,” Wike mentioned.
He additionally challenged the officer to provide correct documentation.
“The place are the paperwork? I used to be right here, I mentioned, convey the paperwork; you don’t have approval for constructing; you don’t have it.’ How can we proceed to permit lawlessness to prevail within the nation?” he mentioned.
Wike confirmed that he has contacted the Chief of Defence Employees and the Chief of Naval Employees, who assured him that the matter can be resolved.
“We aren’t right here to trigger chaos, however what I have to say is that I can’t permit it to occur. He won’t perform this unlawful growth as a result of he’s a former Chief of Naval Employees. I can’t permit it,” the minister mentioned.
The minister questioned why the army was getting used to say property.
“Since you are an officer? No person does that. The person took land as a result of he was the Chief of Naval Employees?” Wike mentioned.
Land disputes and unlawful allocations have been recurring points in Abuja.
Since assuming workplace in August 2023, Wike’s FCTA has intensified efforts to curb unauthorised land acquisition, unlawful property growth, and encroachments, vowing to revive the Abuja Grasp Plan.
In the meantime, the event generated blended reactions as some Nigerians demanded sanctions for the events concerned within the shouting match.
Others blamed the army officer as many Nigerians on social media celebrated the soldier for his “composure, self-discipline and braveness.”
Nevertheless, analysts warned that such confrontations by Wike might pressure civil-military relations.
Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, suggested Wike to train restraint in his engagements with safety personnel.
Reacting to the incident on his X (previously Twitter) deal with on Tuesday, Shehu Sani counseled Wike’s efforts in restoring order to the FCT however cautioned towards confrontations with troopers.
“Wike is doing a wonderful job in Abuja however shouldn’t be inspired to do this type of stunt with troopers,” Sani wrote.
Former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, whereas reacting to the incident, mentioned Wike dedicated a blunder by personally visiting the location and raining abuses on the soldier.
In a bit titled, “Minister Wike: Energy, Course of, and the Rule of Legislation,” Chidoka, a lawyer, mentioned, “Any legislation enforcement officer, in uniform or plain garments, represents the President and the sovereignty of the Nigerian state. To abuse such an officer is to decrease the authority of the Republic itself.
Minister Nyesom Wike’s choice to personally implement a directive at a disputed website was a basic misstep. In constitutional democracies, energy operates by establishments not impulse.
Govt authority should be exercised or adjudicated by the courts, ministries, and lawful devices of state, by no means by confrontation. Regardless of how justified a grievance, a minister can’t turn into an enforcer; that violates the very thought of ordered authorities.”
The previous Minister added, “In a democracy, ministers act by course of, not presence. A proper communication to the Minister of Defence, whose workplace oversees the Armed Forces, would have sufficed. If the officers have been on unlawful responsibility, the established disciplinary programs would have addressed it.
When a minister trades phrases with a uniformed officer performing beneath orders — lawful or in any other case — it corrodes self-discipline and confuses hierarchy.
The officer’s responsibility is to obey the chain of command, not verbal directions on a roadside; the minister’s responsibility is to behave by lawful channels.
The Minister ought to apologise to the officer for utilizing abusive language. It isn’t acceptable behaviour.
The conduct of the DSS protecting particulars was equally unprofessional. Their duty was to extract their principal from a rancorous and probably harmful state of affairs, to not escalate it.
Safety officers should keep in mind that their loyalty is to the state, to not personalities.
This episode is a cautionary story: This episode demeans the dignity of the workplace of the Minister and undermines the picture of disciplined governance.”
Nevertheless, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Joe Igbokwe referred to as for instant dismissal of the army officer who confronted and denied the FCT minister entry to the land.
Reacting to the event, Igbokwe wrote on his Fb web page, “Who is that this man in Uniform? Of what meat is he fed? Who is thrashing the drum for him? That is unacceptable? His uniform needs to be eliminated.”
A college don, Adeyemi Damilare, demanded sanctions for the 2 events, saying, “Each the army chief and the ‘dishonorable’ Minister needs to be sanctioned.”
For one more authorized practitioner, Adegbite Micheal, “The FCT minister ought to have been on suspension by now in a saner atmosphere. Think about what would have occurred if Wike was confronted by a civilian.”
Adegbite additional mentioned, “One would have anticipated the FCT Minister to convey forth a courtroom order or papers that lend credence to his presence however as an alternative he resorted to his clout because the FCT minister who might cease nearly something at anytime.In fact the legality of this incident is of no lesser concern to me.
As an individual, I’m simply significantly involved about how males in energy deal with their fellow helpless residents.Ideally, sure habits shouldn’t be condoned whatever the standing or persona concerned.What precisely does it value to be an honest human being?
The one distinction right here is the personalities of the “huge males” concerned.In fact, everyone knows the result of circumstances like this if one of many events occurs to be a “no one” with none connection to the corridors of energy.”
A member of the Home of Representatives from Osun State, Bamidele Salam, wrote, “Pricey fellow politicians, that younger army officer mentioned to him (Wike): “I’m an officer. I’ve integrity.” Dissect and digest that assertion!”