Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), might have gotten it wrong with his confrontation with a soldier in uniform during his enforcement visit to a disputed land in Abuja on Tuesday, November 11
Wike was said to have called the officer unprintable names. A development, former Chief of Army Staff, Rtd Major General Tukur Buratai, noted that it “can not be dismissed as political theatre” and strongly condemned the minister’s action.
In a Facebook post hours after the incident, the former army boss noted that the “public disparagement of a uniformed officer of the Nigerian Armed Forces” by the minister went beyond ordinary misconduct, but was a potential threat to the integrity of the institution and national security.
The former COAS then asked the minister to immediately tender a public and unequivocal apology to President Tinubu, the Nigerian Armed Forces and the officer he verbally assaulted. He warned that Nigeria’s security must always be prioritised and the integrity of the armed forces must be respected.
Wike’s action against the military officer has been generating reactions from concerned Nigerians, and many are of the view that the minister has gone too far on the matter. He has been sending warnings to landowners in Abuja to follow due processes in their dealings and urged them to pay up their dues. The development is one of his controversial events in recent times.
