Asari Dokubo: Wike is Abuja’s chief security officer… he must be respected by the military

Asari Dokubo, the Niger Delta activist, has condemned the confrontation between Nyesom Wike, the minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), and a military officer over a disputed land in Abuja.

On Tuesday, videos surfaced online showing Wike in a heated argument with military personnel at a site in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

In the footage, Wike is seen stepping in to defuse the situation, separating his security detail from the soldiers as tensions escalated.

Speaking with the officers, the minister demanded to see the approval granted to the owners of the land.

A soldier, who led the group, told Wike that his men were not intimidating anyone, stating that the landowner had all the necessary documents.

Reacting to the development in a video posted on Facebook on Wednesday, Dokubo said Wike’s authority as a minister of the country must be respected by the military.

The Niger Delta activist said the military officer involved in the heated argument with the FCT minister should be reprimanded and court-martialled by the appropriate authorities.

“I’m not taking sides with Wike; I’m taking sides with what is the law, the rule, and the convention,” he said.

“What happened yesterday; in any sane society, that person would be reprimanded and detained.

“The confrontation with the military man and the minister of 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.”

Dokubo acknowledged that while his relationship with Wike has had its ups and downs, the military officer’s conduct was unacceptable.

“In any sane society, that fellow ought to have been court-martialled. It can’t happen anywhere outside Nigeria,” he said.

He said military personnel are subject to the constitution and are not above the law.

“If Wike himself did not go there, they would say government officials do not take their work seriously,” the Niger Delta activist added.

“As an executive officer, I didn’t see anything wrong with the minister going there. Nobody can accept that sort of affront from somebody who by law ought to see you as his superior.”