The Nigerian Navy declined comment after FCT Minister Nyesom Wike clashed with naval officers in Abuja over alleged land grabbing linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff.
The Nigerian Navy has declined to comment on Tuesday’s confrontation between its personnel and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over an alleged case of land grabbing in Gaduwa District, Abuja, according to a report from The PUNCH.
When contacted, Navy spokesman A. Adams-Aliyu said, “No reply for now.” The altercation, captured in a viral video, showed Wike angrily confronting a naval officer over claims that the land was illegally occupied by the military. “Because you are an officer? Nobody does that. The man took land because he was the Chief of Naval Staff?” Wike asked during the exchange.
The officer defended the occupation, saying, “I am an officer with integrity. Everything was acquired legally,” prompting Wike to order him to “keep quiet,” to which the officer replied, “I will not shut up.”
In a statement issued by Rabi Umar, Assistant Director of Press in the minister’s office, Wike condemned the incident as “lawlessness by military personnel,” adding that the FCTA would not tolerate illegal developments.
The minister vowed to ensure the disputed site is reclaimed for the government.