Buratai Describes Wike’s Clash with Naval Officer as Threat to National Security
Abuja — Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai (retd.), has described the recent altercation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and a naval officer in Abuja as a “clear and present danger to national security.”
Buratai, in a statement posted on his verified Facebook page on Tuesday, said the minister’s conduct during the confrontation “goes beyond misconduct” and “undermines both the authority of the Commander-in-Chief and the dignity of the Armed Forces.”
The incident, which occurred at Plot 1946, Gaduwa District, Abuja, reportedly stemmed from a dispute over the ownership and development of a property allegedly linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff. Wike, who visited the site with officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), accused those behind the project of carrying out illegal construction.
A viral video from the scene shows Wike engaging a naval officer said to be supervising the site, insisting that no one was above the law. The officer, whose identity has not been disclosed, maintained that the property was legally owned and covered by military authorisation.
Reacting, Buratai described the minister’s tone and actions as “reckless indiscipline” and “a public affront to Nigeria’s military command structure.”
“A minister’s verbal assault on a military officer in uniform is not political theatre; it is a reckless act that endangers national order,” Buratai said. “It strikes at the very foundation of discipline and respect that holds the Armed Forces together.”
He warned that such behaviour could weaken morale within the military and portray the civilian leadership as dismissive of institutional hierarchy.
“This action by Wike is a direct affront to the authority of the Commander-in-Chief and a demoralising signal to officers serving the nation,” he added.
Buratai urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to treat the issue as a matter of national security and advised Wike to issue a public apology to the president, the Armed Forces, and the officer involved.
“The integrity of our military institutions must be preserved. Our national security should never be subjected to the politics of public confrontation or military bashing,” he stated.
