Samuel Omang
The Senior Special Assistant on Publicity and Communications to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, Mr. Lere Olayinka, has defended his principal over the recent confrontation with a naval officer in Abuja, stressing that “not all orders are meant to be obeyed.”
Olayinka made the remark on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme while addressing the controversy surrounding a disputed plot of land in the Mabushi area of the FCT, which led to a heated altercation between Wike and naval personnel earlier in the week.
“If my principal orders me to go and rape my daughter, will I take such orders because he is my boss?”
According to him, the land in question was originally designated for park and recreation purposes in 2007 and was never approved for private or residential development. He explained that despite a rejected request to change the land use in 2022, the company involved, Santos Estate Limited, illegally partitioned and sold the land to private individuals — including a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo (retd).
“The Chief of Naval Staff was scammed,” Olayinka said. “Instead of seeking redress, he tried to use military influence to enforce ownership on a land that was never meant for private buildings.”
He maintained that Nyesom Wike acted within the law, describing the minister’s intervention as a necessary step to protect the integrity of Abuja’s master plan and curb the growing abuse of land allocations in the capital.
“Not all orders are meant to be obeyed,” Olayinka stated, alluding to the viral video showing naval officers refusing to vacate the disputed site. “When an order is illegal or goes against established development regulations, it must be challenged. That’s exactly what the minister did.”
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He further clarified that the former naval chief had neither a valid title document nor an approved building plan for the property, stressing that any form of construction there would amount to a breach of FCT development control laws.
“The question Nigerians should ask Vice Admiral Gambo is whether he submitted a building plan for approval,” he added. “You don’t just buy land and begin construction without following due process.”
The confrontation, which has since gone viral, has reignited debate on land administration, civil-military relations, and the limits of official authority in the Federal Capital Territory.
Olayinka insisted that Nyesom Wike remains committed to enforcing urban discipline and protecting public lands from encroachment, even if it means stepping on powerful toes.