There was a tense standoff in Abuja on Tuesday after soldiers reportedly prevented the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and his entourage from accessing a disputed parcel of land in Gaduwa.
According to a report by Channels Television, the confrontation occurred when the minister arrived at the site alongside senior officials of the FCT Administration to inspect the property but was stopped by armed military personnel stationed at the entrance.
Eyewitnesses said the situation became heated after one of Wike’s aides accused the soldiers of acting unprofessionally, saying, “You cannot be threatening a minister like this.”
Reacting to the blockade, Wike condemned what he described as an act of intimidation, insisting that the law must apply equally to all. “You cannot carry a gun to intimidate anybody. I am not one of those that can be intimidated,” the minister said, adding that the FCT Administration had not allocated the land to the military.
The former Rivers State governor further criticised the use of force in civil matters, urging public officials and security agencies to follow due process. “I don’t understand how someone in such a position cannot follow proper channels instead of intimidating Nigerians,” he added.
However, the soldiers reportedly maintained that they were acting on instructions from a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Zubairu Gambo (rtd), and refused to vacate the area.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the impasse remained unresolved, with both parties yet to reach an agreement over ownership and control of the disputed land.
