Civil rights activist and former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has urged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to avoid any form of show off in his engagements with military personnel.
Sani stated this on Tuesday following a heated confrontation between the minister and a military officer over an alleged land-grabbing incident in Abuja.
A video of the incident that has gone viral on social media captures Wike in a tense exchange with an unidentified military officer at the Gaduwa District of the FCT.
The minister was seen accusing the military officer of unlawfully guarding a parcel of land allegedly linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff.
Wike questioned the military’s claim to the property, arguing that public land should not be appropriated by individuals under the guise of official connections.
The confrontation escalated when the officer, dressed in camouflage, interrupted the minister, insisting that the land acquisition followed due process and that he had acted within the law.
Wike, in turn, ordered the officer to keep quiet, as tempers flared further at the site.
But in his reaction to the incident on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday, Shehu Sani commended Wike’s efforts in restoring order to the FCT. He however cautioned the FCT Minister against confrontations with soldiers.
“Wike is doing an excellent job in Abuja but should not be encouraged to do this kind of stunt with soldiers,” Sani wrote.
The viral exchange has drawn mixed reactions from Nigerians, with some praising the military officer’s composure during the altercation, while others warned that such confrontations by Wike could strain civil-military relations.
