“Wike: Buratai Warns FCT Minister’s Outburst Threatens National Security, Urges Apology to Tinubu and Armed Forces”

“Wike: Buratai Warns FCT Minister’s Outburst Threatens National Security, Urges Apology to Tinubu and Armed Forces”

By Niger Delta Voice Reporters, X Correspondent, S-Media department.

12th Nov. 2025.

Like a spark that could set a forest ablaze, the recent clash between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike, and a uniformed soldier has drawn sharp rebuke from former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd.), who described the incident as “a dagger pointed at the heart of national security.”

In a strongly worded statement posted on his verified Facebook page, Buratai likened Wike’s conduct to “pouring sand into the engine of discipline,” insisting that the minister’s public altercation with a soldier was a grave affront to the Armed Forces and an indirect slight on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Commander-in-Chief himself.

“The events of November 11, 2025, involving the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, transcend mere misconduct. His public disparagement of a uniformed officer is not only indecorous but a direct assault on Nigeria’s command-and-control structure,” Buratai cautioned.

The confrontation, which occurred at a disputed parcel of land in Abuja, reportedly unfolded when soldiers denied the minister and his entourage entry. Tempers flared, and what began as a minor disagreement soon spiraled into a storm in a teacup — now shaking the corridors of power.

Buratai, a seasoned general who once held the nation’s sword and shield, warned that “a minister’s verbal attack on a soldier is like breaking the staff of discipline before the watching world.”
He stressed that such behavior, if unchecked, could embolden insubordination and erode the respect that glues the military hierarchy together.

“This is not a matter to be swept under the carpet,” he wrote. “It is an open wound on the dignity of our Armed Forces. When a minister rebukes a soldier in public, he undermines the very foundation upon which our national defense stands.”

Calling Wike’s action “reckless and unbecoming of a statesman,” Buratai said the altercation must not be treated as political theatrics but as a crack in the wall that could let in the serpent of disorder.

He urged Wike to tender a “clear and unreserved apology” to President Tinubu, the Nigerian Armed Forces, and the officer whose honour was publicly bruised.

“The tongue may have no bones,” Buratai warned, “but it can break the spine of discipline. Our nation’s security must come before pride or politics.”

In Buratai’s words, “It is time for wisdom to speak louder than ego, for peace to reign where tempers have flared.”

As the dust settles over Abuja, one truth rings clear: when words fly like arrows, only humility can bring the wounded spirit home.