There was mild drama on Tuesday afternoon as military officers prevented the FCT, Nyesom Wike, and officials of the FCT development control department were prevented from entering property belonging to a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo.
The minister led a demolition team to the property under development in Gaduwa district, following several failed attempts to pull down the structure, which the FCTA says was illegally acquired.
Authorities accuse the military of preventing bulldozers from having their way several times in the past.
Like previous times, military officers blocked the way to the property as Wike approached with his team.
With their truck, the uniformed men stopped the bulldozers from the Department of Development Control and insisted the minister could not move beyond their line.
Wike tried to force his way but was resisted, with the military declaring they were obeying an order.
This led to shoving and an exchange of words between Wike's team and the military.
The minister reportedly called the Chief of Defence Staff on the phone, after which he argued fiercely with a Navy Lieutenant on the site before leaving.
Footage of the heated exchange soon went viral.
Soldiers, Wike, FCTA officials, go physical to gain access to land in Abuja
— Emma ik Umeh (Tcee )🇳🇬 (@emmaikumeh) November 11, 2025
Soldiers Stop Wike, FCTA Officials From Gaining Access To Land
I can not believe Wike is crying lol 😆
pic.twitter.com/If4ArIs17J
Speaking to journalists after the incident, he explained that the FCT land department and the development control were mandated to visit the site and assess the nature of the acquisition of the land and building approval.
"I don't understand how somebody who holds that position (former Naval chief) and he said that he has a problem cannot approach my office to say, 'look, this is what is going on, this is what is going on,'" Wike said.
"But simply because he's a military man, he could use that to intimidate Nigerians. I'm not one of those kinds of persons who will succumb to blackmail or intimidation.
"And you can imagine where you cannot even prove where the documents are."
Wike demanded that the necessary building approval be presented, questioning how lawlessness could continue to prevail in Nigeria.
He condemned the use of security forces to intimidate government officials performing their duties, stating that such acts would not be tolerated.
The naval chief has yet to comment on the matter.
