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Wike defends visit to disputed Abuja land, accuses ex-Naval Chief of ‘impunity’

Published

4 weeks ago

November 14, 2025

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike and Former Chief of Naval Staff Vice-Admiral Awwal Gambo

Wike defends visit to disputed Abuja land, accuses ex-Naval Chief of ‘impunity’

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has defended his visit to a disputed plot in Gaduwa District, Abuja—land linked to former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Awwal Gambo—after a confrontation between ministry officials and a naval officer escalated into a public row.

Speaking before the FCT Executive Council meeting yesterday, Wike said he intervened only after senior officials of the FCTA were allegedly attacked while attempting to stop work on the 2.5-acre site.

“How can I sit as minister when government officials at the level of directors are being beaten up?” he asked.

A viral video recorded shortly after the incident showed bulldozers being moved away from the contested property, which the minister said had been cordoned off pending resolution.

Wike accused Vice-Admiral Gambo of “impunity” and faulted Lieutenant A.M. Yerima, who was at the site during the altercation, for allegedly referring to accompanying police officers as “bloody police.”

“Nobody talks like that,” Wike said. “You’re a commissioned officer, but these same government officials you’re assaulting are the ones who made you what you are.”

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He stressed that security personnel must obey lawful orders and cannot hide behind superior directives to justify misconduct. “If your superior tells you to shoot someone, will you not be charged with murder?” he asked.

The minister noted that land disputes involving the military have previously been resolved through institutional channels, not confrontation, adding that he maintains “the highest respect” for the Armed Forces.

“Whenever there is a matter concerning the military, I know who to talk to—the Chief of Defence Staff, the Service Chiefs or even the President. This case involved a private individual, so who was I supposed to run to?” he said.

Wike expressed surprise that Vice-Admiral Gambo did not contact him directly, recalling that other senior figures—including former President Olusegun Obasanjo and General T.Y. Danjuma—had quietly reached out when facing similar issues.

“They never sent soldiers to attack anybody,” he said. “They simply called.”

He dismissed media reports portraying him as being at odds with the military, saying some narratives were designed to cast him in a negative light. “Report us accurately. Don’t twist facts or take statements out of context,” he cautioned.

The minister reaffirmed his commitment to enforcing Abuja’s land-use regulations and warned that no individual—regardless of status—would be allowed to violate the FCT master plan.

“Government cannot function in a lawless society,” he said. “If we allow one person to violate the rules because of who he is, others will follow. That is how impunity begins.”

Wike vowed to sustain President Bola Tinubu’s directive to restore order and sanity to the capital.

“As long as I remain FCT Minister, the law will take its course. Abuja must reflect the image of Nigeria—disciplined, planned and lawful,” he said.

Wike defends visit to disputed Abuja land, accuses ex-Naval Chief of ‘impunity’

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Court Sends Chris Ngige to Kuje Prison on EFCC’s N2.2bn Fraud Charges

Published

1 hour ago

December 12, 2025

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former Anambra State Governor, Dr. Chris Ngige

Court Sends Chris Ngige to Kuje Prison on EFCC’s N2.2bn Fraud Charges

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Gwarinpa has ordered the remand of former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, in Kuje prison pending the hearing of his bail application.

Justice Maryam Hassan issued the order on Friday after Ngige pleaded not guilty to an eight-count charge filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

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The former minister, who served from November 11, 2015, to May 29, 2023, is being prosecuted for his alleged role in a N2.2 billion contract fraud. The charges include abuse of office and accusations that he received kickbacks from companies that secured contracts from the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).

The court ruled that Ngige should remain in custody until Monday, when his bail application will be heard.

Court Sends Chris Ngige to Kuje Prison on EFCC’s N2.2bn Fraud Charges

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Supreme Court Reinstates Death Sentence for Maryam Sanda Despite Tinubu’s Pardon

Published

1 hour ago

December 12, 2025

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Maryam Sanda

Supreme Court Reinstates Death Sentence for Maryam Sanda Despite Tinubu’s Pardon

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has reaffirmed the death sentence imposed on Maryam Sanda, daughter-in-law of a former PDP chairman, for the culpable homicide of her husband, Bilyamin Bello, in 2017.

Sanda was convicted by an Abuja High Court on January 27, 2020, and sentenced to death by hanging after being found guilty of stabbing her husband to death at their Abuja residence. She had spent six years and eight months in Suleja prison before President Bola Tinubu reduced her punishment to 12 years under the recent presidential pardon initiative.

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According to the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, the clemency was granted on “compassionate grounds” and in the “best interest of the children,” noting Sanda’s good conduct, reformed behaviour, and remorse during incarceration.

However, in a split decision of four to one, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court on Friday overturned the executive intervention and reaffirmed the original death sentence. Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Moore Adumein ruled that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

The apex court upheld the earlier decisions of both the trial court and the Court of Appeal, describing them as sound and unassailable. It further held that President Tinubu lacked the constitutional authority to issue a pardon in a homicide case that was still under judicial review.

Sanda’s appeal was dismissed for lacking merit, bringing a definitive close to one of Nigeria’s most widely followed murder conviction cases.

Supreme Court Reinstates Death Sentence for Maryam Sanda Despite Tinubu’s Pardon

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Mother, 10-Month-Old Baby Murdered in Katsina Over Alleged Paternity Dispute

Published

6 hours ago

December 12, 2025

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Katsina State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu

Mother, 10-Month-Old Baby Murdered in Katsina Over Alleged Paternity Dispute

A woman and her 10-month-old baby have been found murdered in Sheme village, Faskari Local Government Area, Katsina State, in what authorities believe was linked to a paternity dispute.

The Katsina State Police Command confirmed that detectives are investigating the incident. In a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, said 35-year-old Sahabi Rabi’u has been arrested in connection with the killings, while a second suspect remains at large.

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Aliyu explained: “During interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime and admitted conspiring with a friend, now at large, to lure the victims to the outskirts of Sheme village, where they were killed. The bodies were burnt and thrown into a nearby well.”

Investigations revealed that the murder stemmed from a paternity disagreement, which escalated into a brutal killing. The bodies have been recovered, and the suspect is currently in police custody. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing accomplice.

Katsina State Commissioner of Police, Bello Shehu, condemned the killings as “barbaric and inhumane,” assuring that justice will be served. He appealed to members of the public to provide information that could assist in capturing the second suspect, with guarantees of confidentiality.