Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has publicly clarified the cause of Tuesday’s heated confrontation between the Minister and a Naval officer in Abuja.
Speaking on Channels Television on Wednesday, Olayinka stressed that the dispute stemmed from a land scam that deceived former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo (retd), into buying a plot of land not designated for residential use. The aide stated that the former Naval Chief, realizing he was scammed, allegedly resorted to using military might to enforce his illegal claim, leading to Wike’s intervention and the resulting clash.
The disputed land in Abuja’s Gaduwa district was originally allocated in 2007 to a company, Santos Estate Limited, for park and recreation purposes, a designation that prohibits commercial or residential construction. In 2022, the company sought approval from the FCT Administration (FCTA) for a change of land use for commercial purposes, a request that was rejected. Despite this official rejection (which occurred before Wike’s tenure), the company allegedly partitioned and illegally sold portions of the land, including to the retired Naval Chief.
Wike’s aide maintained that the retired officer, Vice Admiral Gambo, does not possess a valid title document or an approved building plan for the development. The confrontation occurred as Wike, in his capacity as the ultimate authority for land administration in the FCT, sought to enforce development control regulations. The aide strongly condemned the use of serving military personnel to guard a private, unapproved construction site, accusing them of being converted into private guards.
I want to say here that the former Chief of Naval Staff was scammed, and he has realised that he was scammed. Instead of coming forward to seek help, he resorted to using military might – Olayinka
The officer, however, had insisted on Tuesday that he was only obeying orders and that the papers were complete, creating a clear conflict of legal claims and authority on the ground. The Nigerian Navy has so far maintained silence on the matter, while some military figures, like former Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), have criticized Wike’s conduct as a threat to national security.
Leave a comment