BURATAI WARNS WIKE’S CONFRONTATION WITH NAVY OFFICER THREATENS NATIONAL SECURITY
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A former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (retd.), has described the recent confrontation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and a Nigerian Navy officer in Abuja as “a clear and present danger to national security.”
Buratai, in a statement posted 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 clash, which reportedly occurred at Plot 1946, Gaduwa District, stemmed from a dispute over ownership and development rights to a parcel of land allegedly linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff.
Wike, who visited the site with senior officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to halt what he termed an “illegal construction,” was captured in a viral video berating a naval officer said to be supervising the property.
In the video, the minister was heard saying:
“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.”
The unnamed officer reportedly maintained that the property belonged to a former service chief and that the military had authorisation to secure it.
Reacting to the incident, Buratai condemned Wike’s tone and approach, describing it as “a reckless act that strikes at the core of Nigeria’s command and control structure.”
“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,” Buratai said.
He warned that such public rebuke of a uniformed officer by a civilian authority could erode military morale and send the wrong signal about respect for the chain of command.
“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,” the retired general added.
Buratai, who served as Chief of Army Staff from 2015 to 2021, urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to treat the matter as a national security issue requiring urgent corrective action.
“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.
He concluded by stressing that the integrity of the Armed Forces must be preserved, saying, “Our nation’s security must come first. It is time for decisive action, not politics of military bashing.”
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