‘You’re a fool’ – Wike insults soldier after being denied access to land in Abuja
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, engaged in a shouting match with a soldier who denied him access to a parcel of land in Abuja.
In a video which has gone viral on social media, the minister who was in company of some of Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) officials and armed security personnel, was stopped by military personnel from accessing the site, leading to a heated exchange between his security detail and the soldiers.
In the footage, Wike is seen stepping in to defuse the situation, separating his security detail from the soldiers as tempers flared.
Speaking with the officers, the minister demanded to see the approval granted to the “owners” of the land.
While a soldier who appeared to be the leader of the group stood his ground, the minister called him “a fool” to which the soldier politely replied by saying “I’m not a fool, sir, I’m only acting based on orders.”
“Show me the documents you have. You have no documents. We cannot continue to act with such impunity,” Wike later added.
”Where is the approval? This cannot go on. How is it that a man at his level cannot meet me, but instead sends soldiers to intimidate people? We are all from this country.
“If not for the Chief of Defence Staff, who just spoke to me, you would have had to kill everyone here. I am not someone you can intimidate.”
“On the contrary, sir. We are not intimidating anybody. The papers are complete and he said he has submitted them,” the soldier replied him again.
The incident has since sparked widespread reactions online, with many Nigerians questioning the role of the military in the standoff, and calling for clarity on the ownership and status of the contested land.
