ABUJA, Nigeria — The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has accused soldiers of unlawfully seizing a disputed parcel of land in Abuja and said he will not tolerate intimidation of FCT officials enforcing planning laws.
The allegation follows widely shared footage that shows Wike in a heated confrontation with military personnel at the site on Tuesday, November 11, 2025.
In a statement issued after the incident, Wike said he visited the location after receiving reports that soldiers had driven away officials of the FCT Administration’s department of development control, who had gone to enforce land-use regulations.
“You are aware that the land departments and the development control have the mandate to monitor illegal development and land grabbing,” Wike said.
“When this was brought to my attention, I instructed them to ensure that nothing takes place there, as there were no legal documents—no regional approval, no valid acquisition.”
Wike said FCTA officials were at the site to implement that instruction but were “forced out by armed soldiers.”
He accused the occupants of the land of failing to produce legitimate paperwork when challenged by development-control officers.
“The director of development control said, ‘Bring the documents.’ They don’t have them. ‘Bring approval for building.’ They don’t have it,” he said.
“How can we continue to allow lawlessness to prevail? What about those who don’t have the military behind them? What about ordinary Nigerians?”
The minister said the soldiers were reportedly acting on orders linked to a former chief of naval staff.
He said he had raised the matter with senior military leadership and received assurances that it would be resolved.
“I have spoken to the chief of defence staff and the chief of naval staff. They assured me that the matter will be resolved. We’re not here to have a shootout with anybody or cause chaos. But I will not allow this to happen,” Wike said.
In the widely circulated video, Wike can be seen intervening to separate his security detail from the soldiers as tensions rose.
He demanded to see the authorising documents from the group that had occupied the land, saying: “Show me the documents you have. You have no documents. We cannot continue to act with such impunity.”
Wike also criticised what he described as the use of military force in a private land dispute and warned against the presumption that military rank permits individuals to “intimidate Nigerians.”
“How is it that a man at his level cannot meet me, but instead sends soldiers to intimidate people? We are all from this country,” he said.
“If not for the Chief of Defence Staff, who just spoke to me, you would have had to kill everyone here. I am not someone you can intimidate.”
