A recent high-profile confrontation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and a serving naval officer, Lieutenant A.M. Yerima, over a disputed piece of land in Abuja has sparked widespread reactions from legal experts and socio-political bodies across Nigeria. The incident, captured in a widely circulated video, occurred at a property reportedly belonging to former Chief of Naval Staff, retired Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo, where military personnel were stationed to obstruct FCT officials attempting to halt what Minister Wike maintained was an unauthorized development lacking requisite building approval. The naval officer asserted he was acting under superior orders from his principal, Vice Admiral Gambo, following alleged persistent harassment of workers by FCTA officials.

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, offered a nuanced legal perspective, asserting that both Minister Wike and the naval officer erred in law. Speaking at the opening of the Legal Year of the Faculty of Law, University of Abuja, Falana criticized Wike's use of "uncomplimentary comments" and lack of "emotional intelligence" towards the officer, drawing a parallel to a Ghanaian minister who apologized for similar conduct. Falana stated, "No Minister has the power to call any Nigerian a fool," and urged President Bola Tinubu to compel Wike to apologize, adding that the Minister was fortunate not to have been shot. Conversely, Falana deemed the military officer's actions illegal, arguing that he contravened the law by preventing a minister from carrying out statutory responsibilities under Section 11 of the Land Use Act and engaging in "illegal duty to guide the land of a private person." Falana also seized the opportunity to fault the Federal Government's decision to seek the repatriation of former Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, to serve his prison sentence in Nigeria, questioning the rationale given the lack of intervention for other Nigerian prisoners in the UK and the absence of British citizens serving sentences in Nigerian jails for a prisoner exchange program. Falana, who was conferred with the title of "Senior Advocate of the Masses" at the event, encouraged law students to embrace technology and actively participate in national affairs.

In contrast to Falana's balanced critique, Port Harcourt-based legal practitioner Mr. Princewill Dike vehemently condemned the soldiers' obstruction of Minister Wike, calling for their immediate arrest and prosecution. Dike emphasized that the former naval chief's defiance of the minister's directive to halt development on properties without proper approvals was an act of "impunity" and a direct "disrespectful challenge to the authority of the minister," who represents the federal government. He underscored that the harassment was not merely directed at Wike but constituted "a direct affront to President Bola Tinubu," who had delegated authority to the FCT Minister. Dike reiterated that such unlawful actions by soldiers, including alleged threats to shoot the minister and FCTA officials, must not be tolerated, and those involved must be held accountable.

Echoing the sentiment for accountability, the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), through its National Chairman, Ambassador Godknows Igali, asserted that Minister Wike "deserves a national apology" for being obstructed in his official duties. PANDEF urged President Tinubu to direct security and law enforcement authorities to thoroughly investigate the incident and ensure justice, emphasizing that such measures are crucial for preserving military professionalism and upholding respect for constituted civil authority—foundational principles for a stable democracy. Ambassador Igali condemned the naval officer's behavior as "an open show of disdain for the office of the President," whose powers are vested in the FCT Minister. He also expressed serious reservations about the "social media glamourisation" of the officer's conduct and criticized the practice of using "innocent junior military personnel to performing illegal duties like watching over unoccupied personal lands," irrespective of the officer's self-restraint.

Minister Nyesom Wike himself reacted strongly to the incident, asserting that he would not passively observe while FCT Administration officials were being attacked while carrying out their lawful duties. Addressing newsmen, Wike criticized the "audacity" of the retired naval chief in deploying active-duty officers to guard a disputed property and impede lawful enforcement actions by FCT officials. He stressed his obligation as a public officer to intervene in such situations, unequivocally stating, "How can I sit as a minister when government officials are being attacked and beaten up, officials at the level of directors? And I'll just sit in my office doing what?" Wike firmly described the deployment of military personnel for such purposes as an "unacceptable abuse of authority."