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

A naval officer, who claimed to be acting on the orders of the former Chief of Naval Staff, Awwal Gambo, had engaged Wike in a heated argument and prevented the minister and officials of the FCT Administration from gaining access to the disputed property.

The issue reportedly degenerated into a heated confrontation between Wike and the military officers.

Reacting, Asari said the officer involved should be reprimanded and court-martialled by the appropriate authorities.

In a video posted on Facebook, Asari said: “I’m not taking sides with Wike; I’m taking sides with what is the law, the rule, and the convention. What happened yesterday, in any sane society, that person would be reprimanded and detained.

“The confrontation between the military man and the Minister of the FCT is uncalled for. The Minister is the governor of the FCT and, constitutionally, he is the chief security officer—outside the President—of the city of Abuja.

“I might not like Wike; our relationship has witnessed ups and downs, but in any sane society, that fellow ought to have been court-martialled. It can’t happen anywhere outside Nigeria.

“There is law in Abuja, and nobody has the right to go and develop a piece of property without following the laid-down rules and regulations pertaining to property development.

“A military man is subject to the constitution; he is not above the constitution. If Wike himself did not go there, they would say government officials do not take their work seriously.

“In an executive system of government, the buck stops at the table of the executive officer. I didn’t see anything wrong in the minister going there. Nobody can accept that sort of affront from somebody who, by law, ought to see you as his superior.” (Nigerian Tribune)