Former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai (rtd), has strongly criticised Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over his confrontation with a military officer at a disputed plot of land in Abuja.
The clash, which was captured in viral videos on Tuesday, showed Wike engaged in a heated exchange with armed personnel who reportedly stopped him from accessing the site. The footage quickly spread across social media, drawing mixed reactions from Nigerians.
In a statement on Wednesday, Buratai described Wike’s conduct as "a palpable threat to national security and institutional integrity," insisting that the minister’s actions went beyond mere misconduct.
"His public disparagement of a uniformed officer of the Nigerian Armed Forces transcends mere misconduct; it represents a palpable threat to national security.
"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," he said.
The former army chief warned that such actions undermine the authority of the Commander-in-Chief and erode the morale of serving officers.
"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," he added.
Buratai urged Wike to issue a public apology to President Bola Tinubu, as the head of the Armed Forces, and to the officer involved in the confrontation.
"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.
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