Lawyer Joshua Nwachukwu has challenged the conduct of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike in the recent Gaduwa District land standoff, raising legal and professional concerns despite a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) defending the minister’s actions.
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Reacting to Prof. Sebastine Hon’s condemnation of Naval Officer A.M. Yerima for allegedly obstructing Wike, Nwachukwu argued that the minister was not merely prevented from accessing the site but from halting construction and enforcing demolition orders. “Can the Minister demolish any property without a court order? Even if the Land Use Act vests the land in the FCT Minister as trustee, does it give him the right to enter any property without consent?” Nwachukwu asked.
He also questioned whether the FCTA officials had a valid court order when they arrived with bulldozers, and whether Wike should have pursued judicial avenues instead of enforcing compliance himself. Nwachukwu highlighted inconsistencies, noting that Wike often tells citizens to approach courts when disagreeing with his decisions, yet in this instance, he bypassed similar legal procedures.
Beyond legality, Nwachukwu criticized Wike’s conduct during the faceoff, describing it as “condescending” and unprofessional. “He called a human being a fool, a big fool, and brought in extraneous information about the officer’s schooling. This is uncouth for a life bencher and a minister,” he said.
Prof. Hon, in his earlier statement, condemned Officer Yerima for obstructing Wike, citing Supreme Court rulings that military officers are not bound to obey illegal orders. Hon argued that Wike, acting in loco of the President, was legally empowered to exercise authority over land administration in the FCT and warned that condoning such obstruction could encourage security personnel to defy civil authority.
The clash, which occurred at Plot 1946, Gaduwa District, was captured in videos widely circulated on social media. It showed heated exchanges between Wike and the naval officers, with Wike insisting he would not yield to intimidation and accusing the military and developers of land grabbing.
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