Buratai blasts Wike over clash with Soldiers, calls incident a threat to national security

Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd), has criticised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over his confrontation with military personnel in Abuja, describing the incident as a serious threat to national security.

The confrontation, which was captured on video and widely circulated online on Tuesday, showed Wike in a heated argument with soldiers at a disputed piece of land in the capital city.

In a statement released afterwards, Buratai said Wike’s public exchange with a uniformed officer of the Nigerian Armed Forces went beyond misconduct, warning that it could undermine the nation’s security framework and erode institutional discipline.

“His public disparagement of a uniformed officer of the Nigerian Armed Forces transcends mere misconduct; it represents a palpable threat to national security and institutional integrity,” Buratai stated.

He stressed that such behaviour by a government minister disrespects the authority of the Commander-in-Chief, weakens the military chain of command, and could demoralise serving officers and men.

“This action by Wike is clearly an indication of undermining the federal government’s authority,” he added, urging the minister to publicly apologise to President Bola Tinubu and the officer involved.

Buratai further emphasised that political figures must avoid actions that cast the military in a negative light, insisting that national security should always take precedence.

“Our nation’s security must come first. It is time for decisive action, not politics of military bashing. The integrity of our Armed Forces demands nothing less,” he said.