Former Aviation Minister, Osita Chidoka, has called on Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike to publicly apologise to the military officer he verbally confronted in Abuja on Tuesday during a row over a disputed plot of land.

NATIONAL ACCORD reports that a video that circulated online earlier in the day (yesterday) showed Wike engaged in a heated exchange with a soldier who had reportedly stopped his convoy from accessing the contested property.

Reacting in a statement, Chidoka described the minister’s actions as “unacceptable behaviour,” saying they contradicted the principles of democracy and respect for institutional authority.

He faulted Wike for taking enforcement matters into his own hands rather than allowing due process to take its course, calling the confrontation “a fundamental misstep” in a democratic setting.

“Any law enforcement officer, in uniform or plain clothes, represents the president and the sovereignty of the Nigerian state. To abuse such an officer is to diminish the authority of the Republic itself,” Chidoka stated.

He emphasised that governance must operate through established institutions, not personal impulses. “In constitutional democracies, power operates through institutions, not impulse. No matter how justified a grievance, a minister cannot become an enforcer; that violates the very idea of ordered government,” he added.

Chidoka urged Wike to address any perceived wrongdoing through official channels, noting that if the soldiers’ presence at the site was irregular, the appropriate step would have been to contact the Minister of Defence, who oversees the military, instead of confronting the officer in public.

Wike Condemns Military Takeover Of Abuja Land …Says Former Naval Chief Behind Encroachment, Vows to Resist Intimidation

Meanwhile, the FCT Minister has denounced the alleged forceful takeover of a disputed parcel of land in Abuja by soldiers said to be acting under the instruction of a former Chief of Naval Staff.

Describing the incident as “lawless and unacceptable,” Wike vowed that no one, regardless of their past position, would be permitted to undermine the authority of the FCT Administration.

Wike said he intervened personally after reports emerged that military personnel had driven away FCTA officials enforcing a stop-work order. “When this was brought to my attention, I instructed them to ensure that nothing takes place there, as there were no legal documents—no regional approval, no valid acquisition,” he stated.

He expressed disappointment that a retired senior officer would use military influence to obstruct lawful enforcement rather than follow due process. “Simply because he’s a military man, he thinks he can use that to intimidate Nigerians. I am not one of those that will succumb to blackmail or intimidation,” Wike said.

According to the minister, those occupying the land failed to present any valid documents when asked by development control officials. He stressed that the FCTA “will not allow lawlessness to prevail” or tolerate the misuse of military power in civil matters.

Wike added that he had spoken with the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Naval Staff, who promised to address the situation, reaffirming that “nobody—whether a former Chief of Naval Staff or anyone else—will be allowed to carry out illegal development on government land.”