Nigeria’s capital development minister has backed his strong words to a navy officer during a dispute over a building site in Abuja. Nyesom Wike said he had every right to step in and stop work on the plot, which he claims belongs to the public and lacks proper approval.
The clash happened on Tuesday in the Gaduwa district, where Wike met Officer A. Yerima guarding the land. The site was first given to a company in 2007 for parks and open spaces, but later split and sold. A retired navy chief bought part of it, and sent the officer to protect it.
Wike told reporters on Thursday that the land stays for city use, like shops and green areas, not houses. He said no building plans were filed, so the work broke city rules. “I won’t let anyone grab public spots,” he stated. He added that the retired officer fell for a trick but chose threats over court action.
The minister praised the officer for staying calm but stressed that no uniform gives anyone the right to block fair checks. He denied bullying and said he would handle similar cases the same way to guard the city’s growth plan.
Wike’s team noted a failed bid two years ago to change the land’s purpose. They plan to keep probing illegal deals to fix past errors. The row has drawn fire from ex-military leaders, who called for a review and slammed the public spat as harmful to order. Defence bosses have started a check into the matter.
