Buratai condemns Wike over clash with soldiers, calls incident a threat to national security
Tukur Buratai, former Chief of Army Staff, has criticised Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), over his confrontation with military personnel during a dispute over a parcel of land in Abuja.
Videos that circulated online on Tuesday showed Wike engaging in a heated exchange with soldiers at the contested site in the nation’s capital.
Reacting to the incident in a statement, Buratai described the minister’s actions as a serious “threat to national security” that warrants “an immediate and serious response.”
“His public disparagement of a uniformed officer of the Nigerian Armed Forces transcends mere misconduct; it represents a palpable threat to national security and institutional integrity,” the statement read.
Buratai further condemned Wike’s behaviour, saying: “A minister’s verbal assault on a military officer in uniform is an act of profound indiscipline that strikes at the core of our nation’s command and control structure.
“It deliberately undermines the chain of command, disrespects the authority of the Commander-in-Chief, and grievously wounds the morale of every individual who serves under the Nigerian flag.
“Such actions erode the very foundation of discipline upon which our national security apparatus stands.”
He added that the altercation should not be dismissed as “political theatre,” describing it instead as “a reckless endangerment of national order.”
“This action by Wike is clearly an indication of undermining the federal government’s authority,” Buratai said.
The former army chief called on Wike to issue a public apology to President Bola Tinubu, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and to the officer “whose honour was violated.”
“Our nation’s security must come first. It is time for decisive action, not politics of military bashing. The integrity of our Armed Forces demands nothing less,” Buratai said.
