The Federal Capital Territory Administration has broken its silence on the viral video showing a tense standoff between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and armed naval officers, expressing deep regret over the incident while firmly maintaining that the disputed property in Gaduwa District of Abuja constituted illegal development.
The confrontation, which occurred on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, has sparked widespread public debate about land rights and enforcement procedures in Nigeria’s capital city.
Senior FCTA officials, addressing journalists after Thursday’s FCT Executive Committee meeting, provided a detailed chronology of events, clarifying that the claimants linked to former Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo (rtd) possessed no legal title to the land. The Federal Capital Territory Administration oversees development control and land administration in Abuja, Nigeria’s purpose-built capital city.
The Director of the Department of Development Control, Tpl Mukhtar Galadima, opened with a formal apology to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike for Tuesday’s confrontation. Wike, a former Rivers State governor in southern Nigeria, has served as FCT Minister since August 2023 under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“It is with a sense of commitment, emotion and regret that we address this press conference on the incident that happened on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, at the Gaduwa District,” Galadima stated. He recounted that on October 17, staff on routine monitoring noticed an ongoing development within the corridor of the Southern Parkway in Abuja.
When enquiring about the necessary approval status and documents, they were met by stiff resistance and threat to shoot by men of the Nigerian Navy. After diplomatic intervention, the officers presented what Galadima dismissed as inadequate documentation.
“What was eventually provided was merely a letter of intent issued in 2007 by the Department of Parks and Recreation, not a formal approval,” he explained. A letter of intent represents preliminary interest in land allocation but does not constitute legal title or development authorization in Nigeria’s land administration system.
In a direct exchange with the site officer, Galadima recalled stating: “I said, as a lawyer, there is a clear difference between submission and approval, and you know it is illegal to commence development in the Federal Capital Territory without approval. He said he is aware, but the solution is under process. I said, then this development is illegal.”
Galadima justified his decision to invite the Minister, citing safety concerns. “We noticed the impending danger because armed men were strategically positioned, ready to shoot. And seeing this, I sent a distress call to the Honourable Minister.”
“I want to sincerely apologise to the Honourable Minister for dragging him into this situation. I apologise to the Honourable Minister, indeed to all Nigerians for what happened,” Galadima stated. His apology acknowledges the public nature of the confrontation and its impact on the minister’s image.
Meanwhile, the Director of Lands Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, provided decisive legal context, stating that the claimants have relied on a letter of intent issued by the Department of Parks and Recreation in 2007, 18 years ago. He emphasized that in the FCT, the only document that gives legal title to land is statutory right of occupancy.
“Letter of intent is not a title,” Nwankwoeze stated. He emphasised that the claimants failed to meet basic conditions, noting they did not develop and complete development on the site within one year as required by regulations.
“Beyond not having title, in Abuja you cannot build anything without approval of the plans you submitted to ascertain that what you propose to develop is in line with the dictates of the master plan,” Nwankwoeze explained. Abuja’s master plan, developed in the 1970s, guides all urban development in the Federal Capital Territory.
While expressing regret for the public confrontation, both officials maintained that their enforcement action was necessary to uphold the FCT Act of 1976 and the Urban and Regional Planning Law of 1992. These laws provide the legal framework for land administration and development control in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory.
The officials emphasized that safeguarding Abuja’s master plan integrity remains paramount, regardless of the status of individuals involved in unauthorized developments. The incident highlights ongoing tensions between land claimants and enforcement authorities in Nigeria’s rapidly developing capital city.
