Wike, Navy Officer Clash Over Disputed Abuja Land
By Enemona Samuel Endurance | The Bureau News
ABUJA — Tensions flared on Tuesday in Gaduwa District when FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and his security team came into a heated confrontation with naval officers led by Lt. AM Yarima over a disputed parcel of land on Plot 1946.
What happened at the site
The confrontation began after FCTA field officers, led by Mukhah Galadima, moved to stop development on Plot 1946. The plot is said to belong to former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo (rtd).
Wike and his team arrived at the site with the FCT Commissioner of Police, Miller Dantawaye, but were blocked by about a dozen armed naval personnel. Eyewitnesses say words were exchanged and the disagreement quickly degenerated into a scuffle between the minister’s security detail and the soldiers.
Heated exchanges between Wike and Lt. Yarima
According to bystanders, the minister demanded documentation from the naval officers to justify their claim. Lt. Yarima insisted the land belonged to the former service chief and that the officers were acting on valid orders. The verbal exchange grew louder as each side refused to back down.
“You cannot tell me that. You cannot continue to act with impunity in this way,” Wike told the officers, according to witnesses.
Yarima replied: “It matters. I am an officer. I take orders from a three-star General.”
The stand-off continued with both men trading words — at one point Wike reportedly warned, “If you want to kill everybody, kill everybody,” to which Yarima responded, “We will not kill anybody, sir.”
Security teams intervene
DSS and police officials who accompanied Wike intervened and challenged Yarima for confronting the minister. Despite the intervention, Yarima reportedly stood his ground and argued that he was only following orders, insisting on the legality of the acquisition.
Wike repeatedly told the naval officer to take the matter to his office, saying the use of arms and threats against FCTA workers was unacceptable. “This land does not belong to him,” the minister said, demanding that the military present proper documentation.
What this means
The incident raises fresh questions about civil–military relations in the Federal Capital Territory and the handling of land-use disputes involving former senior officers. Officials on both sides have yet to publish an official account of the event.
The Bureau News reached out to the FCTA and the Naval Headquarters for comment but had not received responses at the time of filing. We will update this story as more information becomes available.
For more on land disputes and governance in Abuja, follow our Politics and Governance sections.
