Asari Dokubo Slams Military Officer Over Clash With Wike in Abuja Land Dispute

|By Chinwendu Nwani

Former Niger Delta militant leader, Asari Dokubo, has condemned the confrontation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and some military officers over a disputed piece of land in Abuja.

The incident, which reportedly involved a senior naval officer acting on the instructions of the former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo (rtd), escalated into a heated exchange when the officer allegedly blocked Wike and officials of the FCT Administration from accessing the contested property.

Reacting in a video posted on his Facebook page, Asari Dokubo criticized the officer’s conduct, describing it as a breach of military discipline and constitutional order. He insisted that the officer should be reprimanded and court-martialed for challenging the authority of the Minister.

“I’m not taking sides with Wike; I’m taking sides with the law, the rule, and the convention,” Asari stated. “What happened yesterday, in any sane society, that person would be detained. The confrontation with the Minister of FCT is uncalled for.”

Asari emphasized that the FCT Minister, by constitutional provision, is the chief security officer of the capital city, second only to the President. He stressed that no one, including members of the military, is above the law.

“There is law in Abuja, and nobody has the right to develop a property without following due process,” he added. “A military man is subject to the constitution; he is not above it.”

While acknowledging his differences with Wike, Asari maintained that the Minister acted within his rights by visiting the site. “In an executive system of government, the buck stops at the table of the executive officer,” he said. “The only part I disagree with Wike was the language he used when leaving. But no superior authority should tolerate such insolence.”

The clash has since sparked public debate over the boundaries of military involvement in civil administrative matters in the nation’s capital.