By Erewunmi Peace

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has said the military had no legal authority to prevent the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, from inspecting a disputed plot of land in Abuja.

Falana reacted to the recent confrontation between Wike and a naval officer during an inspection visit to a property in the Gaduwa area of the FCT. The encounter, which went viral, showed the officer insisting that the land belonged to the Nigerian Navy, while the minister attempted to carry out an inspection.

According to Falana, Wike was acting under powers granted to him by the Land Use Act, which allows the minister—as the statutory authority in charge of the FCT—to enter and inspect any land for administrative purposes. He stated that military personnel have no constitutional backing to obstruct a minister performing official duties related to land administration.

The senior lawyer, however, advised that both the minister and the naval officer should have handled the situation with more restraint. Falana added that if there was a dispute over ownership, the proper approach would have been to seek clarification through legal channels rather than a public confrontation.

The incident has sparked conversations about land administration in the FCT, the role of security agencies in civil matters and the need for clearer communication between government ministries and the military.

More reactions are expected as stakeholders continue to comment on the situation.