Wike’s clash with naval officer “reckless and dangerous”, poses threat to national security – Gen Buratai

*Asks Tinubu to take action

*As military veterans condemn Wike over clash with military

*How can a public officer call military officer a fool? – Military Veterans 

*Media guru expects national award for young officer for standing for institution 

By KEMI KASUMU

He added: “This action by Wike is clearly an indication of undermining the federal government’s authority. It disrespects the Commander-in-Chief and wounds the morale of every officer who serves under the Nigerian flag.”

With the look of things, it does not seem that the dust raised by Tinubu’s Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, open clash with a naval officer working under superior instructions in Abuja on Tuesday November 11, 2025, will settle anytime soon. There are indications that some retired military officers are angered by the Minister’s behaviour.

This is as a former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (Rtd) warned that the confrontation between Wike, a lawyer, and a Nigerian Navy officer in Abuja represents “a clear and present danger to national security” and called for urgent corrective action.

Buratai, in a strongly worded statement on his verified Facebook page on Tuesday, said Wike’s conduct during the exchange “transcends mere misconduct” and “undermines the authority of the Commander-in-Chief and the integrity of the Armed Forces.”

The Whistler reports that the clash, which reportedly occurred on November 11, 2025, at Plot 1946, Gaduwa District, Abuja, stemmed from a dispute over ownership and development rights to a parcel of land allegedly linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff.

The FCT Minister, accompanied by senior officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), had visited the site to halt what he described as an “illegal construction” when he was confronted by a naval officer allegedly supervising the property.

In a viral video of the incident circulating on social media, Wike was seen expressing outrage at the officer’s presence, insisting that no individual, regardless of their military affiliation, was above the law.

“You are in uniform, and you’re telling me that the Navy owns this land? Who gave you the right to build without approval? Even if you are the Chief of Naval Staff, the law must be respected,” Wike was heard saying in the video clip.

The officer, who has not been officially named by the Nigerian Navy, reportedly responded that the property belonged to a former service chief and that the military had authorization to protect it.

However, Buratai, in his reaction, said the minister’s tone and public rebuke of a uniformed officer amounted to “a reckless act that strikes at the core of Nigeria’s command and control structure.”

According to him, “a minister’s verbal assault on a military officer in uniform is an act of profound indiscipline that strikes at the very foundation of our national security apparatus. It is not political theatre—it is a reckless endangerment of national order.”

He added: “This action by Wike is clearly an indication of undermining the federal government’s authority. It disrespects the Commander-in-Chief and wounds the morale of every officer who serves under the Nigerian flag.”

Buratai, who served as Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff from 2015 to 2021, urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to treat the matter as a national security concern.

“Barrister Nyesom Wike must tender an immediate and unequivocal public apology to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Commander-in-Chief, to the Armed Forces of Nigeria, and to the specific officer whose honour was violated,” he declared.

“The integrity of our Armed Forces demands nothing less. Our nation’s security must come first. It is time for decisive action, not politics of military bashing,” he added.

…Military veterans condemn Wike over clash with naval officer in Abuja

A coalition of Nigerian military veterans has strongly criticised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, following his recent confrontation with a naval officer during an enforcement visit to a disputed land in Abuja.

“How can a public office holder call an officer ‘a fool’ on camera? If he was responsible, he should have reached out to the Chief of Naval Staff instead of attempting to embarrass a serving officer,” Durowaiye-Herberts said.

A video circulating online shows Wike in a heated exchange with naval personnel at a site in the Gaduwa area of the FCT. The minister was reportedly on an enforcement operation when he questioned the presence of military officers allegedly providing security for the property.

In the footage, Wike accused the officers of aiding an illegal development, while one of the naval personnel stated that they were acting under instructions and that the land belonged to a former Chief of Naval Staff. The exchange became tense, with the minister reportedly using harsh language toward the officer.

The incident has generated widespread reactions on social media, with some Nigerians faulting the naval officer for confronting a serving minister, while others defended the officer’s professionalism.

In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, the Coalition of Military Veterans condemned Wike’s conduct, describing his verbal outburst as unbecoming of a public official.

“How can a public office holder call an officer ‘a fool’ on camera? If he was responsible, he should have reached out to the Chief of Naval Staff instead of attempting to embarrass a serving officer,” Durowaiye-Herberts said.

He noted that uniformed personnel represent the authority of the Nigerian state, adding that disrespecting them undermines public institutions.

The veterans also warned against any disciplinary action being taken against the officer involved, vowing to resist such a move.