A former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (retd.), has issued a strong warning that the confrontation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and a Nigerian Navy officer in Abuja represents “a clear and present danger to national security” and called for “urgent corrective action.”
In a statement posted on his verified Facebook page on Tuesday, Buratai asserted that Wike’s conduct during the exchange “transcends mere misconduct” and “undermines the authority of the Commander-in-Chief and the integrity of the Armed Forces.”
The clash, which occurred at Plot 1946, Gaduwa District, Abuja, stemmed from a dispute over land ownership and development rights to a parcel allegedly linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff.
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The FCT minister, accompanied by officials, had visited the site to halt what he called an “illegal construction” when he confronted a naval officer allegedly supervising the property.
In a viral video, Wike was heard expressing outrage, stating: “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.”
The officer, whose name has not been officially released, countered that the property belonged to a “former service chief” and that the military “had authorisation to protect it.”
Buratai, who served as Chief of Army Staff from 2015 to 2021, said the minister’s tone and public rebuke of a uniformed officer amounted to “a reckless act that strikes at the core of Nigeria’s command and control structure.”
He elaborated: “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 theatre—it is a reckless endangerment of national order.”
He added that “This action by Wike is clearly an indication of undermining the Federal Government’s authority. It disrespects the Commander-in-Chief and wounds the morale of every officer who serves under the Nigerian flag.”
He urged President Bola Tinubu to treat the matter as a national security concern and declared: “Barrister Nyesom Wike must tender an immediate and unequivocal public apology to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Commander-in-Chief, to the Armed Forces of Nigeria, and to the specific officer whose honour was violated.”
Buratai concluded: “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.”
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