11/11/2025
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike, has condemned the alleged illegal takeover of a disputed land in Abuja by military personnel reportedly acting on the orders of a former Chief of Naval Staff, describing the act as lawless and unacceptable.
Wike, who personally visited the site on Tuesday after receiving reports that soldiers had driven away FCTA officials enforcing development control directives, said no individual no matter their former position would be allowed to intimidate government authorities or obstruct enforcement of the law.
βYou are aware that the land departments and the Development Control have the mandate to monitor illegal development and land grabbing,β the minister said.
βWhen this was brought to my attention, I instructed them to ensure that nothing takes place there, as there were no legal documentsβno regional approval, no valid acquisition.β
According to Wike, while officials of the Department of Development Control were on site to implement his directive, they were chased away by armed soldiers allegedly acting under the instruction of a retired senior officer.
βI was informed that the soldiers of the military had to chase them away, and I thought they were acting illegally,β Wike said. βToday, while I was in the office, I was called again that the military had taken over the place. I had to come myself to see things. Itβs really unfortunate.β
He expressed shock that a person who once held a top military position could resort to such intimidation rather than follow due process.
βI donβt understand how somebody who attained that position cannot approach my office to say, βLook, this is what is going on.β But simply because heβs a military man, he thinks he can use that to intimidate Nigerians. I am not one of those that will succumb to blackmail
