The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday defended his face-off with a Naval officer, Lieutenant A.M. Yerima, over a disputed plot of land allegedly belonging to a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo (retd).
Faulting Gambo for using military personnel to obstruct lawful enforcement activities by FCT officials, Wike recalled how he resolved land disputes involving former President Olusegun Obasanjo and ex-Army Chief T.Y. Danjuma.
He spoke while briefing journalists ahead of the FCT Executive Council meeting.
Wike condemned Gambo’s impunity in deploying serving officers to guard the disputed property.
Responding to those who criticized him for visiting the site, Wike said he could not sit idly as a public officer while government officials were being attacked.
“How can I sit as a minister when government officials are being attacked and beaten up, officials at the level of directors? And I’ll just sit in my office doing what?
“Many influential Nigerians have had similar land issues. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, a former head of state and president, will simply call me. He’ll say, ‘Minister, I have a problem on this land, can you help?’ and I’ll solve it.
“That is a former head of state, a former president, who has the courtesy to call the minister. General T.Y. Danjuma will do the same. They never sent soldiers to attack anybody. They just call,” Wike said.
The minister also faulted the naval officer for allegedly referring to police officers on the scene as “bloody police.”
“Nobody talks like that. A security man saying, ‘Bloody police! Who are these bloody police that will talk to you?’ You say you’re a commissioned officer, to God be the glory, but it is these same government officials you’re beating, the ones who made you what you are,” he stated.