Former Aviation Minister Osita Chidoka has urged Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike to publicly apologise to a naval officer he confronted during a heated land dispute in Abuja, warning that the incident undermines democratic governance and state authority.
The confrontation, captured in a widely circulated video, unfolded at Plot 1946 in Gaduwa District, where Wike, accompanied by Federal Capital Development Authority officials, moved to stop what he called “illegal construction” on land allegedly tied to a former Chief of Naval Staff.
In the footage, an enraged Wike challenged the uniformed officer supervising the site: “You’re in uniform telling me the Navy owns this land? Who gave you approval to build? Even if you’re the Chief of Naval Staff, the law applies to everyone.”
The officer maintained that the property belonged to a retired service chief and that the military was authorised to secure it.
Reacting on Tuesday via a Facebook statement, Chidoka condemned Wike’s direct intervention as a “serious error of judgement,” insisting that public officials must operate through institutional channels, not personal confrontations.
“Every security officer in uniform represents the President and the Nigerian state. To insult such an officer is to erode the authority of the Republic,” Chidoka wrote.
He argued that ministers should enforce policy through lawful administrative processes, not roadside disputes, adding that such actions weaken military discipline and institutional order.
Chidoka also criticised the Department of State Services personnel attached to Wike, saying their duty was to de-escalate and protect their principal, not escalate tensions.
“Their allegiance is to the state, not individuals,” he stressed.Describing the episode as a “lesson in leadership,” the former minister said Wike’s conduct diminished the dignity of his office and called for an immediate public apology to the officer, deeming the behaviour “unacceptable and unbecoming of a public official.”
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