Former Niger Delta militant leader Asari Dokubo has condemned the confrontation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and naval officers over a disputed piece of land in Abuja, describing the officer’s actions as “unacceptable in any sane society.”
The clash occurred at Plot 1946, Gaduwa District, where a naval officer, A.M. Yerima, reportedly acting on the orders of former Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Awal Gambo (retd.), prevented Wike and officials of the FCT Administration from accessing the property.
Reacting in a Facebook video on Wednesday, Asari Dokubo called for Yerima to be reprimanded and court-martialled, insisting that his conduct violated both military and constitutional order.
“I’m not taking sides with Wike; I’m taking sides with what is lawful,” Dokubo said.
“In any sane society, that officer would have been reprimanded and detained. The confrontation with the Minister of the FCT is uncalled for. The minister is the governor of the FCT and constitutionally the chief security officer of Abuja, next only to the President.”
While acknowledging his personal differences with Wike, Dokubo maintained that the naval officer’s defiance was a clear breach of hierarchy and rule of law.
“I might not like Wike, but in any organised country, that officer would have been court-martialled. A military man is subject to the Constitution; he is not above it,” he added.
The former militant leader further argued that Wike was right to inspect the disputed land in person, saying it was part of his constitutional duty to ensure due process in land development.
Meanwhile, the FCT Minister’s office described the incident as an act of “lawlessness” by the military. In a statement signed by Rabi Umar, the minister’s media aide, Wike said the developers lacked proper documentation or approval for the site.
“I instructed FCTA officials to ensure that nothing takes place there since they have no legal papers. But I was told the military chased them away. When I came to verify, I found that the military had taken over the place,” Wike said, vowing not to be intimidated by anyone.
A constitutional law expert, Prof. Sebastine Hon (SAN), weighed in, stating that the naval officer acted outside the law. He cited Supreme Court rulings — Onunze v. State (2023) and Nigeria Air Force v. James (2002) — which held that military officers are not bound to obey illegal or unjust orders.
“No service law allows a serving military officer to guard a private construction site for his superior, especially under suspicious circumstances,” Prof. Hon
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However, not everyone sided with Wike. A coalition of Nigerian military veterans, through its spokesperson Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, criticised the minister for verbally attacking the naval officer, calling his actions “disrespectful and unbecoming of a public official.”
The Abuja land dispute has since sparked widespread debate across political and military circles, with calls for both restraint and adherence to constitutional order.
