Buratai Demands Wike’s Apology to President Tinubu and Officer Over Honour Violation
Former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (retd.), has cautioned that the recent confrontation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and a Nigerian Navy officer in Abuja poses “a clear and present danger to national security.”
Buratai, in a statement on his verified Facebook page on Tuesday, described Wike’s conduct during the incident as “a reckless act that transcends mere misconduct” and “undermines the authority of the Commander-in-Chief and the integrity of the Armed Forces.”
Naija News reports that the altercation, which took place at Plot 1946, Gaduwa District, Abuja, stemmed from a dispute over ownership and development rights to a parcel of land reportedly linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff.
Wike, who visited the site with senior officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), accused those at the site of engaging in “illegal construction.”
In a viral video of the encounter, the minister was seen confronting a naval officer allegedly supervising the development.
“You are in uniform, and you’re telling me that 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,” Wike said in the clip.
The officer, whose identity has not been disclosed by the Nigerian Navy, insisted that the property was owned by a former service chief and that military personnel were only providing security.
Reacting to the incident, Buratai warned that Wike’s outburst “strikes at the core of Nigeria’s command and control structure,” stressing that such public confrontations with uniformed officers could have far-reaching implications for discipline within the Armed Forces.
He said, “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. It is not political theatre, it is a reckless endangerment of national order.”
Buratai added that the minister’s behavior “disrespects the Commander-in-Chief and wounds the morale of every officer who serves under the Nigerian flag,” describing it as an unacceptable challenge to the authority of the Federal Government.
The retired general, who served as Chief of Army Staff between 2015 and 2021, urged President Bola Tinubu to view the incident as a matter of national security requiring immediate attention.
“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,” he said.
He further stressed that the integrity of the Armed Forces must be upheld, adding, “Our nation’s security must come first. It is time for decisive action, not politics of military bashing.”