FCT Minister Wike clash with soldiers over land in Abuja
A tense confrontation unfolded in Abuja when Minister Wike, accompanied by officials from the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), engaged in a heated exchange with soldiers who were stationed at a contested piece of land. The encounter, which took place on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, was captured on video and quickly circulated on social media and news outlets.
According to multiple reports, Minister Wike’s team attempted to access and inspect a site alleged to be the subject of illegal development and land allocation. The soldiers on site reportedly prevented access, saying they were acting on orders and asserting they held the necessary documents. Minister Wike challenged their authority and insisted that no one including those in uniform was above the law. At one point he demanded to see documentation and demanded that the soldier remove himself if he could not provide proof.
During the heated exchange, Minister Wike accused the military personnel of intimidation and obstructing lawful government work. He said that their presence could have led to serious consequences and invoked his recent communication with the Chief of Defence Staff to underline the gravity of the situation. “If not for the Chief of Defence Staff who just spoke to me, you could have killed everybody here,” he was reported to have said. The soldiers in turn maintained they were simply executing orders and claimed the land in question was legitimately acquired.
The exchange turned sharply personal at times. Minister Wike referred to one of the soldiers as a “big fool” and challenged the rank and status of the uniformed officer, noting that the officer was younger and had less experience. In response, the officer calmly replied that he was “an officer” and had “integrity” and was simply carrying out orders. This moment drew significant attention online and triggered widespread commentary.
The incident comes amid a larger effort by the FCTA under Minister Wike’s oversight to crack down on illegal land allocations, encroachments and unapproved structures in the FCT. Minister Wike has repeatedly emphasized that land and public spaces in Abuja must be protected from lawless developers and powerful interests. At the same time, he has faced allegations in the past about his own administration’s land practices, though he maintains that his efforts are focused on restoring order.
At the time of the reports, neither the military nor the FCTA had issued a detailed public statement addressing the incident. The spot confrontation was captured on video, which has since contributed to a broader discussion about the role of military personnel in civil administrative matters and the respect for civilian authority in land management in the FCT.
