By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
There was tension in Abuja on Tuesday when soldiers stopped the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, from gaining access to a piece of land located in the Gaduwa area of the city.
Wike had led officials of the Federal Capital Territory Development Authority (FCDA) to inspect the land when the soldiers barred them from entry.
Eyewitnesses said the soldiers, who were stationed at the property, claimed they were acting on orders from above, sparking a heated confrontation with the minister and his team.
Visibly angry, Wike raised his voice at the soldiers, condemning what he described as an act of impunity and intimidation against constituted authority.
“We cannot continue to act in impunity. You cannot be carrying a gun to intimidate anybody. I am not one of those you can intimidate,” Wike fumed.
He accused the military of undermining civil authority, saying such conduct was unacceptable in a democratic setting.
The minister further lamented that some top security officials often used their positions to obstruct legitimate government activities.
“It’s really unfortunate. You heard what was said by the former Chief of Staff. I don’t understand how someone who has held such a position cannot approach my office to resolve issues, but instead uses soldiers to intimidate others,” Wike said.
Sources said the land in question belongs to a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Zubairu Gambo, who allegedly deployed the soldiers to prevent access to the property.
As of press time, efforts to get comments from military authorities on the incident were unsuccessful.
The confrontation has heightened tensions between the FCT administration and the military, with observers calling for the presidency to intervene and prevent a recurrence of such incidents.