Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, swept through his official engagements with the air of one accustomed to unchallenged authority. His campaign to reclaim illegally acquired plots had advanced with confidence. On this fateful day the authority he carried with ease confronted a shocking obstacle.
At a restricted site he encountered a young military officer tasked with securing the land, accompanied by a small detachment. Their assignment was precise. Enforce order. Protect the territory. Uphold procedure. What followed unsettled all who witnessed the encounter. Wike arrived with his escorts and security detail in full display. His presence carried its familiar volatility. Without hesitation he erupted into a barrage of accusations at the officer, whose only act was the faithful execution of duty.
The Minister attempted to force his way through a lawful military operation solely on the strength of political weight. He dismissed the officer in a tone reminiscent of a bustling motor park boy, employing crude language that jarred with the gravity of his office. Wike barked at the officer, ‘You’re a fool!’ The officer in calm composure repeatedly replied, ‘I’m not a fool.’
The exchange spread instantly through the public arena. Wike yelled at the officer to ‘get out’. In a striking reversal he eventually ‘got out’ himself, once he realised the soldier stood firm, refusing to be cowed. Calls were placed in haste to the appropriate channels only to receive no support for his aggression. His ‘gra gra’ style collapsed in full view of an astonished audience.
A tempered assessment later emerged from the Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle. He explained that the officer violated no military rule. The young soldier displayed remarkable discipline showing admirable restraint under pressure.
According to him Wike owed full respect to the uniform before him since that uniform embodies the authority of the Commander in Chief. Any insult directed at the officer went beyond personal disrespect, striking directly at the pride of the armed forces and the dignity of the nation.
Public reaction surged. Citizens pointed to yet another outburst from Wike that fell far below the composure expected of senior national leadership. The incident deepened an already widespread perception that his conduct often fails to reflect the civility demanded by high public office.
Matawalle further stated that Wike could have channelled the matter to the Defence Ministry for swift resolution rather than allowing it to escalate into an unnecessary confrontation. He clarified that the officer followed lawful instructions, maintaining discipline, loyalty, obedience and strict adherence to due process throughout the encounter. No punishment would follow since no regulation was breached and no duty compromised.
In the final reckoning this encounter stripped power of its theatrics and revealed where real authority stands. The young officer chose duty over drama proving that discipline anchored in law outshines political bluster and that national honour rests not in noise but in steadfast courage. Wike entered the scene with swagger and left with a lesson written in plain sight. It is a stark warning to holders of public power. Public office confers responsibility not intimidation. True leadership emerges when authority meets humility and when uniformed duty confronts arrogance with unshifting resolve.
