Starting on a lighter note, the senator caught in matrimonial attrition will be well-pleased at the shift of attention from him and his young wife.
After all, in Nigeria it is said one week, one trouble. Before the free commentary on another man’s internal marital combustion, it was the emergency experts on geopolitics discourse on Trump’s genocide claims against Christians in Nigeria.
It did happen that on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, Nigerians found a new chance to breathe easy and have hot takes on another happening. This time it was about the omnipresent Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike and a young military officer, Lt. A. Yerima.
At the heart of the matter is land allocation. It has emerged that the land in dispute belongs to a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo (rtd.). Reports claim that Minister Wike had revoked the land amongst others and reallocated same to some special interests. This has become a recurring sore thumb in Abuja. Revoke, reallocate, complaints, and the disdainful rebuttal “go to court.”
At the heart of the altercation Nigerians were treated to isn’t about law and order, rather personal, unbridle acquisition and abuse of legitimate authority.
Let no one be fooled. The spectacle at play is the symptom of a diseased system. If it was about institutional integrity and procedure, the Naval officers won’t have been at the disputed land in the first instance because the owner, no matter how highly placed, will trust that the system will correct any anomaly by the issuing authority rather than the deployment of armed force.
On the other hand, the minister with all the guaranteed constitutional vestiges won’t personally be on ground to enforce his authority knowing that the system has a way to deal with such issues.
No, the system is corrupt, weak, pliant and steeped in cronyism and crass nepotism. The system is rank foul and does not aid legitimacy and due process. Abuja is fond of taking from the weak and poor, give to the rich, powerful and connected.
So what was at play between the minister and the former CNS represented by Lt. Yerima, wasn’t about the common good, rather ego, power and the corrupting influence that have left many rightful landowners wailing and denuded of their legitimate ownership.
We are witnesses to how lands are being taken from struggling Nigerians and handed over to friends of the present minister. We are aware from the minister himself how his young son has hectares of land for farming when thousands of applications have laid forlorn for years.
If our leaders actually gauge the fallout of events, Minister Wike in this instance needs to be introspective of how the people think of him. His tantrums defy ethical conduct and speaks to the disdain those entrusted with power hold the rest of us.
If the minister could dance naked before gun wielding military personnel, what is the fate of the common citizen? Think!
When the ladies at the now demolished Siam City were wailing and showing their allocation and full payments, nobody cared, the authority cavalierly told them, “go to court!” Court orders that won’t be obeyed and never has.
This is the sorry pass we now face as a people and country. Phew!