Joe Igbokwe, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, has weighed in on Tuesday’s heated encounter between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and a naval officer in Abuja, describing the officer’s conduct as “horrible” and “representing evil.”
In a social media post on Tuesday, Igbokwe defended Wike’s actions at the disputed Gaduwa land site.
He warned that the incident exposed deeper issues of corruption and entitlement surrounding land ownership in the nation’s capital.
He described the uniformed officer’s behavior as disturbing and symbolic of a larger rot.
He said, “What this small boy displayed today has a million meanings. What frightens me is the reactions here. I have been reading what some people are saying here, and I get more frightened. Who sent the small boy on this horrible mission? What meat is he fed?
“I am running away with the thinking that those lands were stolen. Take him out of the military ASAP. He represents evil. He was not well brought up.
“His so-called bravery is arrant nonsense, full of sound and fury signifying. Take him out. He represents evil. We call this principle of reverse psychology.”
Igbokwe also accused unnamed elites of resisting Wike’s reform efforts in Abuja, notably those who he claimed benefitted from fraudulent land deals.
He wrote, “I bet you some people who stole Nigeria to the bones in Abuja will not like HE Wike. Shameless land grabbers who see Abuja as their father’s property will not like him. Appointment bandits and free money chasers will not like him.”
The APC stalwart also saw Wike’s term in historical context, pointing out that his appointment signaled a dramatic shift in regional representation at the FCT Ministry.
“I am aware that no Southerner has been FCT minister since 1990, when the capital was moved to Abuja. For more than 30 years, the FCT minister has always come from the North. In 2023, Wike became the FCT minister, and hell was let loose,” he said.
Igbokwe concluded his statement by calling for a thorough investigation into the ownership of the disputed land and questioning the involvement of those responsible for the uniformed officer’s altercation with Wike.
He said, “Who is the owner of the land in question? Why did he not go there himself to confront HE Wike? Was the land acquired through due process? This matter should be thoroughly investigated. Let the owner show face.”
The altercation between Wike and the naval officer at Gaduwa District has continued to generate wide debate across the country, drawing reactions from political figures, security veterans, and citizens alike.
Wike, in response to the event, stated that he would not yield to blackmail or intimidation.
In his views, public pundit Adedamola Adetayo, also known as #BalogunKakanfo1, regarded the occurrence as a serious national security risk that “shouldn’t be seen as anything else but the equivalent of a coup d’état.”
Adetayo on X stated that the occurrence was a serious act of insubordination against the Commander-in-Chief’s authority and warned that it should not be taken lightly.
He wrote, “The Hon. Minister of the Federal Republic is a representative of the Nigerian people and an agent of the President/Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
“The recklessness of yesterday’s incident is in the ex-Naval chief giving orders to the lieutenant to undermine the authority of the agents of the Commander-in-Chief. This is why it is a very serious threat to national security and the equivalent of a coup d’état and shouldn’t be seen as anything else.”
Adetayo stated that Nigeria’s tolerance for indiscipline and contempt for lawful authority derives from the long-term impacts of military rule, which he claims has warped the public’s concept of good civil-military interactions.
He added, “I think we became used to too many acts of illegalities, indiscipline, lawlessness, disorder, corruption, and so many abnormalities over the long years of military misrule that we don’t seem to understand any more what should be normal.”
He also criticized the persistent presence of military on the streets, claiming that it promotes intimidation rather than security.
“For example, it is not even normal to have soldiers prowling the streets in such a way that they constitute an intimidating nuisance to members of the public. I think we need to do something about it,” he concluded.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
