Buratai Warns Wike-Navy Clash is “Clear and Present Danger to National Security”
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Former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (Rtd.), has strongly condemned the recent public confrontation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and a Nigerian Navy officer, labeling the incident a “clear and present danger to national security” and demanding urgent corrective action from the Presidency.
The clash, which occurred at Plot 1946, Gaduwa District, Abuja, reportedly stemmed from a dispute over ownership and development rights to a parcel of land allegedly linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff. Minister Wike visited the site to halt what he described as an “illegal construction” when he confronted the naval officer supervising the property.
Minister’s Conduct Deemed “Reckless Indiscipline”
In a statement posted on his verified Facebook page on Tuesday, Buratai argued that Wike’s conduct during the exchange “transcends mere misconduct” and “undermines the authority of the Commander-in-Chief and the integrity of the Armed Forces.”
In a viral video of the incident, Wike was seen expressing outrage at the officer, insisting that no individual, regardless of their military affiliation, was above the law: “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 was heard saying.
However, Buratai countered that the Minister’s tone and public rebuke of a uniformed officer amounted to 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. It is not political theatre—it is a reckless endangerment of national order,” the former Army Chief declared.
Demand for Public Apology
Buratai, who served as Chief of Army Staff from 2015 to 2021, urged President Bola Tinubu to treat the matter as a national security concern.
He concluded by demanding: “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. Our nation’s security must come first. It is time for decisive action, not politics of military bashing.”
By PRNigeria
