The confrontation between Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike and Naval Lieutenant Ahmad M. Yerima during a land inspection in Abuja’s Gwarimpa area has sparked legal and political debate across the country.

The altercation, which occurred at Plot 1946, Gaduwa District, saw Wike exchange heated words with uniformed personnel after his team was allegedly blocked while enforcing a demolition order.

The viral footage stirred public outrage, with veterans demanding an apology and legal experts weighing in on the limits of military authority. Wike, however, maintained his stance, saying, “I am not one who will succumb to blackmail or intimidation,” insisting that no one not even the military is above the law when it comes to land administration in the FCT.

Wike’s Aide Explains Land Dispute

Mr. Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Publicity and Communications to the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, has defended the minister’s actions during Tuesday’s confrontation with a naval officer in Abuja, linking the incident to a land scam involving a former naval chief.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Olayinka said the disputed land was originally allocated in 2007 for park and recreation purposes, not residential or commercial use.

“That particular land was allocated to a company in 2007, Santos Estate Limited, for park and recreation. The company did not do anything on the land because that place is a parkway, it’s a walkway, it’s a road corridor. You don’t build there,” he explained.

Olayinka noted that in 2022, the company applied to the FCT Administration for a change of land use, which was declined. “In 2022, the minister of FCT declined that request. Wike was not the minister then,” he added.

Despite the rejection, the company allegedly partitioned and sold the land to private individuals, including former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo (retd).

“Probably in anticipation of the minister’s approval for conversion, the man decided to partition the land, a land allocated to him for park and recreation. He now partitioned the land and sold it to people, including the former Chief of Naval Staff,” Olayinka said.

He criticized Gambo’s response, claiming the retired officer tried to use military influence to assert ownership. “That is why I want to say that the Chief of Naval Staff was scammed. He has realised that he was scammed.

Instead of him to now come out and seek help, he resorted to use military might,” he stated.
Olayinka clarified that the land, located in Mabushi, is designated for public and corporate buildings, not private residences, and that Gambo had no valid title or approved building plan.

“As of today, Vice Admiral Gambo does not have a document, a title document, showing that he owns the land. He does not own the land,” he affirmed.

He further explained the legal requirements for land development: “Assuming we’re not conceding that he has title documents and he owns the land, before you begin development of a land, there are processes you must pass through. One of such processes is to have a building plan… and take your building plan to development control.”

Olayinka’s remarks come after a viral video showed Wike confronting naval personnel guarding the property, sparking public debate over land administration, civil-military relations, and abuse of power in the FCT.

What The Law Says

Constitutional law expert and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Prof. Sebastine Hon, described the naval officer’s conduct as a “breach of the law,” arguing that the act of obstructing the FCT Minister “under the guise of obeying superior orders” cannot be justified.

Citing Supreme Court rulings in Onunze v. State (2023) and Nigeria Air Force v. James (2002), Hon explained that military personnel are not bound to obey illegal or unjust orders. He stressed that as FCT Minister, Wike “stood in loco of the President of Nigeria” regarding land administration under Sections 297(2) and 302 of the 1999 Constitution.

Hon added that, “Rather, it is the officer who obstructed him that has breached not just the Nigerian Constitution, but also service and extant regulatory laws.” He further noted that Section 114 of the Armed Forces Act makes military personnel criminally liable for civil offences meaning the officer could face disciplinary action for obstructing a public official in the performance of lawful duties.

Minister Of Defence Reacts

In response to public concerns, Minister of Defence Mohammad Badaru Abubakar affirmed that no soldier would be penalized for carrying out a lawful duty.

Speaking during the launch of the 2026 Armed Forces Celebration, Badaru addressed the issue, stating, “Well, at the Ministry, and indeed the Armed Forces, we will always protect our officers on lawful duty.”

He further reassured that military authorities were actively reviewing the matter to ensure fairness and justice. “So we are looking into this issue, and we assure that any officer on lawful duty will be protected highly, so we will not allow anything to happen to him so far he is doing his job, and he’s doing his job greatly well,” he added.

The Defence Minister highlighted that while the government upholds discipline and respect for the rule of law within the armed forces, it also prioritizes the protection of officers who perform their duties responsibly and within the bounds of the law.

Social Reactions

The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to halt the judgment in his terrorism case scheduled for November 20.

In a new motion filed on November 10 and personally signed by him, Kanu urged Justice James Omotosho to suspend the judgment, arguing that the proceedings were conducted under a repealed and non-existent law.

Kanu, who recently dismissed his legal team led by former Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), maintained that his ongoing trial violates Supreme Court directives and Section 287(1) of the Constitution.

He contended that his prosecution under the now-repealed Terrorism (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2013, breaches Sections 1(3), 36(1)–(12), and 42 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as well as Articles 7 and 26 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Kanu further argued that the trial court is constitutionally obligated to enforce the Supreme Court’s finding that Count 15 (now Count 7) “does not exist in law,” adding that failure to do so renders all subsequent proceedings null and void.

He also asserted that the court’s refusal to take judicial notice of the repeal of the 2013 terrorism law, in violation of Section 122 of the Evidence Act, 2011, invalidates all actions taken under that repealed legislation.

Additionally, he argued that under Section 76(1)(a)(iii) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, the Federal High Court lacks the jurisdiction to try him without proof that the alleged offence is recognized under Kenyan law or backed by a valid extradition order from a Kenyan court.

Kanu challenged the plea he purportedly entered on March 29, 2023 (not 2028), insisting it was done under a repealed law and in breach of Section 220 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015. He described the plea as void and incapable of conferring jurisdiction on the court.

He also claimed that the use of forged documents during the proceedings amounted to a denial of his right to a fair hearing under Section 36(6) of the Constitution. Consequently, he requested the court to nullify all rulings and proceedings conducted by Justice Omotosho for lack of jurisdiction and breach of constitutional supremacy.

Representing himself after dismissing his lawyers, Kanu said he was misled into pleading under a repealed law, contrary to Section 220 of the ACJA, 2015.
“It is in the interest of justice for this Honourable Court to arrest judgment ex debito justitiae,” he stated.

Among his requests, Kanu sought an order stopping the court from delivering judgment in the case and a declaration that the failure to take judicial notice of the repeal of the 2013 terrorism law, contrary to Section 122 of the Evidence Act, 2011, renders all proceedings under it invalid.

Kanu is currently facing a seven-count charge of terrorism marked FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, filed by the Federal Government.

The prosecution accused Kanu, who has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since 2021, of leading a separatist movement seeking the secession of the South-East, parts of the South-South, and certain areas in Kogi and Benue States from Nigeria.

He was also accused of instigating violence and killings through broadcasts allegedly aired nationwide and of unlawfully importing a radio transmitter. Kanu pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

After presenting five witnesses, the prosecution closed its case. Kanu, who initially listed 23 witnesses for his defence, later withdrew them, maintaining that he would not defend a charge he described as invalid and based on offences unknown to law.

At the previous hearing, Justice Omotosho fixed a date for judgment after Kanu, despite being granted six opportunities, failed to open his defence.

The Federal Government has begun the process of banning single-use plastics with the inauguration of a committee to oversee the policy. The Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Ban of Single-Use Plastics (SUPs) was formally launched yesterday by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), marking a major step forward in Nigeria’s efforts to combat plastic pollution.

The proposed ban, approved at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held on June 25, 2024, targets common plastic items such as Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles, styrofoam food containers, plastic shopping bags, sachet water packaging, and plastic straws.

In his address at the inauguration, the SGF, George Akume, noted that the policy aligns with Nigeria’s commitment to upholding global environmental standards.
He said: “The FEC decision was in line with the Federal Government’s efforts to tackle various health and environmental challenges, especially those caused by single-use plastic products and therefore, approved the ban in the country of polyethene terephthalate (PET) bottles, styrofoam, plastic bags, sachet water and straw, which has become an environmental sanitation challenge.”

He further explained that improper disposal of plastic materials significantly contributes to marine pollution and land degradation. According to him, plastic waste takes an extended period to decompose both on land and in water, posing serious risks to wildlife and human health due to its toxic components.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Mr. Mohammed Sanusi Danjuma, the SGF emphasized that this initiative, pursued within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reflects Nigeria’s most determined effort yet to reduce plastic pollution.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has initiated a joint investigation with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to uncover those responsible for importing 1,000 kilogrammes of cocaine valued at more than $235 million (approximately ₦338 billion). The illicit shipment was intercepted at the PTML Terminal of the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said operators at the PTML Terminal discovered the drug-filled container among empty ones and immediately informed relevant port authorities, including the NDLEA and the Nigeria Customs Service, prompting a joint inspection.

Babafemi explained that field tests carried out by NDLEA operatives confirmed the seized substance to be cocaine, after which the consignment was taken into the agency’s custody on Tuesday, November 11, 2025.

He said, “The NDLEA is working with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the United Kingdom National Crime Agency to unravel the cartel behind the importation of 1,000 kilogrammes of cocaine recovered from a container at the PTML Terminal of Tincan Island Port in Lagos.

“The PTML operators had noticed the consignment in an empty container last weekend and invited port stakeholders, including the NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies for a joint examination.

After a field test by the NDLEA confirmed the shipment to be cocaine, the consignment was formally transferred to NDLEA custody for further investigation on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, following collaborative engagements between the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), and the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.”

Babafemi noted that the confiscated cocaine, worth over $235 million (about ₦338 billion), represents the largest single seizure of the drug ever recorded at Tin Can Port.

NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), said the agency invited its international partners due to the magnitude of the discovery and the suspected involvement of a global trafficking network.

Officers from the U.S. DEA and the U.K. NCA have since joined the investigation.

The statement added, “As a result of the large quantity of the recovered Class A drug, which is worth over $235m (over N338bn) on the international market, and the global dimension to the cocaine cartel, Marwa on Tuesday, November 11, directed that the agency’s leading international partners be involved in the investigation.

“In a swift response to the agency’s request, officers of the US DEA and UK NCA have already joined the ongoing investigation of the largest single seizure of cocaine at the Tincan Port, Lagos.”

On Sunday, the NDLEA also announced the arrest of several suspects involved in drug-related crimes, including a wanted drug kingpin, Yussuf Azeez, who was captured at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos.

The 40-year-old suspect was apprehended on Thursday, November 6, 2025, while attempting to board a flight to Saudi Arabia for Umrah.

According to Marwa, the agency has, over the past 30 months, seized 8.5 million kilogrammes of narcotics, arrested at least 45,853 suspects, and secured 9,263 convictions.