There was pandemonium in Abuja Tuesday when the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, was blocked by armed soldiers from accessing a disputed plot of land allegedly linked to former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo (rtd.).

The minister, who has made the enforcement of land-use regulations a crux of the administration, had arrived at the site in company of officials from the FCTA Department of Development Control following reports of illegal development and land grabbing.

The director of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, said the property in question was not allocated by the FCT Administration and had no valid documents of ownership or building approval.

As Wike’s convoy approached the fenced site, a group of uniformed soldiers positioned at the entrance reportedly moved to deny him access.

What followed was an extraordinary exchange that underscored the tension between civilian authority and military influence in the capital’s land administration.

Witnesses said Wike stepped out of his vehicle and demanded to be allowed in, insisting he had come to inspect an illegal construction.

The soldiers stood their ground, with their leader asserting that he was under strict orders “from above” not to permit entry.

The atmosphere  became charged.

“Who gave you the order?” Wike demanded, raising his voice as he advanced towards the officer.

“Keep quiet!” the minister shouted, his tone echoing across the site.

The young officer, refusing to back down, responded sharply: “Sir, you cannot tell me to keep quiet. I am a commissioned officer.”

The minister, visibly incensed, retorted: “You’re a fool!”

Unfazed, the soldier replied, “I am not a fool, sir, and you have no right to call me one.”

The tense exchange ended with Wike turning away in anger and leaving the scene, but not before addressing journalists who had followed his convoy.

“It’s really unfortunate,” he said, describing the soldiers’ presence as “illegal.”

“You heard what the officer said that he was sent by the former Chief of Naval Staff. I don’t understand how someone who once occupied such a high position cannot come to my office to resolve an issue but instead uses soldiers to intimidate people. I will not succumb to blackmail or intimidation.”