Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has shed light on the recent confrontation between the minister and a group of soldiers over a disputed parcel of land in Abuja.
Speaking on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme, Olayinka alleged that a former Chief of Naval Staff was duped in a questionable land transaction and, rather than seeking official intervention, chose to deploy military personnel to assert ownership.
According to Olayinka, the land in question, located in the Gaduwa District, was originally allocated in 2007 to a company known as Santos Estate Limited for the purpose of park and recreation.
“That particular land was given to a company in 2007 for park and recreation. The company did nothing on it because it lies within a road corridor where construction isn’t allowed,” he explained.
Olayinka stated that in 2022, the company wrote to the Federal Capital Territory Development Authority (FCTDA) seeking approval to convert the land for commercial use.
However, before any approval was granted, the company allegedly began subdividing and selling the land, including to the ex-Naval Chief.
“The former Chief of Naval Staff was scammed, and he knows he was scammed,” Olayinka said. “Instead of reporting the matter or seeking help, he decided to use military force to take control of the property.”
The controversy escalated on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, when Minister Nyesom Wike and his team clashed with soldiers guarding the disputed land in Gaduwa.
Eyewitness footage showed Wike visibly angry as he confronted the soldiers and questioned their authority to restrict his access.
“This is unprofessional. You cannot be threatening a minister like this,” one of Wike’s aides was heard saying during the altercation.
Wike insisted that the occupation of the land violated FCT regulations and that no valid documents justified the ongoing development.
“You have no document,” the minister told the soldiers.
“We cannot continue to act with impunity. No one is above the law. You cannot use a gun to intimidate anybody. I am not one of those that can be intimidated.”
