A former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (retd.), has described the altercation 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,” urging President Bola Tinubu to take immediate corrective action.
In a statement posted on his verified Facebook page on Tuesday, Buratai said Wike’s conduct during the confrontation “transcends mere misconduct” and “undermines the authority of the Commander-in-Chief and the integrity of the Armed Forces.”
The clash reportedly occurred at Plot 1946, Gaduwa District, Abuja, over ownership and development rights to land allegedly linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff. Wike, accompanied by senior officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), had stormed the site to halt what he described as an “illegal construction” when he confronted a naval officer allegedly supervising the property.
In a viral video, Wike was seen berating the officer, saying: “You are in uniform, and you’re telling me 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 officer, whose name has not been officially disclosed, reportedly explained that the land belonged to a former service chief and that the military was authorized to protect it.
Reacting to the incident, Buratai said the minister’s public rebuke of a uniformed officer was “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,” he stated. “It is not political theatre it is a reckless endangerment of national order.”
Buratai added that Wike’s action “undermines the authority of the Federal Government, disrespects the Commander-in-Chief, and damages the morale of officers serving under the Nigerian flag.”
He urged President Tinubu to address the matter as a national security issue, insisting that “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.”
“The integrity of our Armed Forces demands nothing less. Our nation’s security must come first. It is time for decisive action, not politics of military bashing,” Buratai declared.
The post “Reckless And Dangerous” — Buratai Warns Wike’s Clash With Naval Officer Poses Threat To National Security appeared first on TheNigeriaLawyer.
