Soldiers block Nyesom Wike and FCTA officials from entering land in Abuja

Relations between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and officials in the capital became tense when some soldiers prevented the former Rivers State governor and his entourage from entering a piece of land in the Gaduwa district of the region.

“This is unprofessional. You can’t threaten the minister like thatan officer accompanying Wike told the gun-toting soldiers as the minister and his team tried to enter the land.

The minister was dissatisfied with the turn of events and questioned the conduct of the officers, saying no one was above the law of the land.

Vick challenged the development of the land, claiming due process was not followed.

“you don’t have files“, the FCT minister said amid Tuesday’s standoff, but the soldiers did not budge, saying they were following instructions. “We cannot continue to act with impunity. We can’t go on like this. This country cannot go down this path.

“You are not above any government. You cannot carry a gun to intimidate anyone. I’m not one of the people they can intimidate.,” he said.

I won’t give in to blackmail

After a heated meeting with the officers, the FCT minister accused the officers of acting with impunity. Wike argued that there is no legal document allocating such land to them in FCTA records.

He vowed that his government, for its part, would not allow such actions to continue.

“It’s so unfortunate. You heard what the former Chief of Staff said.”, said Wike, a former Rivers State governor.

“I don’t understand why a guy who got this position, seeing something wrong with him, can’t come to my office and say, “Look, this is what’s going on,” or just because he’s a soldier, they can use that to intimidate Nigerians.

“I’m not the type to give in to blackmail.“.

Despite the threats from the minister, the officers maintained that they would not evacuate the land as they were working on instructions given to them by former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Zubairu Gambo.