A dramatic showdown unfolded in Gaduwa, Abuja, on Tuesday, November 11, when Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, was blocked by soldiers from accessing a land, sparking a heated exchange between the minister and military personnel.
The incident, captured on camera, shows Wike leading officials of the Federal Capital Territory Development Authority (FCDA) to inspect the land, only to be stopped by armed soldiers. The soldiers, citing orders from above, refused to allow the minister and his team to proceed, leading to a tense standoff.
As the situation escalated, Wike confronted the soldiers, his voice rising in anger as he addressed one officer. “You are a very big fool! As at the time I graduated, you were still in primary school,” he shouted, visibly incensed. The soldier, maintaining a calm demeanor, retorted, “I am not a fool but an officer with integrity.”
Wike, refusing to back down, emphasized that no one is above the government and that he would not be intimidated. “You cannot be higher than any government. You cannot be carrying a gun to intimidate anybody. I am not one of those that they can intimidate,” he declared.
The minister questioned the soldiers’ approach, wondering why they couldn’t resolve the matter peacefully by approaching his office. “I don’t understand how somebody who attained that position, seeing that he has a problem, cannot approach my office to say, ‘Look, this is what’s going on,’ or simply because he is a military man, they could use that to intimidate Nigerians. I’m not one of those kinds of people who will succumb to blackmail,” he said.
The confrontation has sparked widespread reactions on social media, with many expressing outrage at the soldiers’ behavior and praising Wike for his defiant stance. The incident has also raised questions about the role of military personnel in civilian matters and the limits of their authority.
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