Abuja, Nigeria — A land-enforcement operation in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) escalated into a confrontation between Minister of the FCT Nyesom Wike and uniformed naval personnel, exposing structural ambiguities in the intersection of civilian land administration and military authority.
The incident took place at Plot 1946 in the Gaduwa District, where the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) had initiated an enforcement action against what it described as an unapproved development. According to senior planning officials, the plot lacked a valid Right of Occupancy and had no approved building plan under the Development Control framework, which derives authority from the Land Use Act of 1978 and the FCT Act of 1976.
FCTA enforcement teams arrived on site accompanied by the minister for what authorities termed an inspection and compliance exercise. Heavy equipment, including bulldozers, was present, indicating the administration’s intent to halt construction and potentially initiate demolition of structures deemed illegal. The action was interrupted when naval personnel stationed at the site blocked access, claiming to be acting under orders connected to the protection of property allegedly associated with a serving officer.
Video footage of the encounter shows a verbal exchange between the minister and the officer in charge, with both parties questioning the legitimacy of the other’s mandate. The deployment raised immediate constitutional questions, as the Nigerian military’s domestic role is limited under Section 217 of the 1999 Constitution to assisting civil authorities only when formally requested or when authorised by federal legislation.
By contrast, the Land Use Act — constitutionally entrenched by Section 315(5) — grants the FCT Minister the authority of a state governor with respect to land administration in Abuja, including the power to inspect, regulate, revoke, and enforce development standards. Legal analysts note that unless a plot is formally gazetted as military land, jurisdiction rests exclusively with civilian authorities.
Defence Headquarters has initiated an internal review to determine the chain of command and legal basis for the deployment. FCTA officials have stated they will await federal directives before resuming enforcement.
The clash comes amid a broader administrative drive to audit irregular land allocations in the capital, where competing claims, informal conversions, and overlapping institutional interests have long contributed to disputes. Analysts say the Gaduwa incident underscores the need for clearer inter-agency protocols governing land enforcement — particularly where security personnel are involved.
While investigations continue, Plot 1946 remains a focal point for debates over the balance of authority between civilian regulators and the armed forces. The federal government is expected to issue guidance on the legal boundaries that should govern future encounters between civil and military institutions in non-security matters.
