Military misplaced priorities guarding disputed Abuja land — Sowore

By: Abudu Olalekan

Yeah. You read that right.

The military — yeah, the guys with guns and boots meant to guard borders and repel invaders — are now moonlighting as private security for some retired admiral’s plot in Abuja. Wild, right?

Omoyele Sowore — activist, presidential hopeful, professional truth-teller — didn’t hold back. Called it exactly what it is: misplaced priorities. And honestly? He ain’t wrong.

This whole mess blew up after FCT Minister Nyesom Wike rolled up to a piece of contested land — you know, the kind where ownership papers get lost, found, then lost again — only to be stopped by soldiers. Soldiers. In uniform. Blocking a sitting minister. On orders? From who? Nobody’s saying. Classic Nigeria.

Wike, never one to tiptoe, went off. Screamed into the camera like your uncle at a family WhatsApp group when someone tags him in a meme he doesn’t understand. “Who do you think you are?” vibes. Viral within minutes. Of course it was.

Sowore, watching from his phone like the rest of us, dropped a spicy X post (used to be Twitter, remember?). Said the military’s job ain’t protecting VIP backyards. It’s securing the nation. Not playing gatekeeper for some ex-navy bigwig named Awwal Gambo. Retired. Still got soldiers on payroll? Suspicious.

He even dug up old dirt — reminded folks how Wike, back when he ran Rivers State, once pulled up with armed guards to stop EFCC officers from arresting a judge. His judge. His friend. His problem. “What a country!” Sowore wrote. Feels like we say that every Tuesday now.

Then came Zara Onyinye. Sharp-tongued, no filter. Took aim at Osita Chidoka — former Aviation Minister, PDP chieftain, sudden defender of military honor. Chidoka said Wike should apologize to the soldier. Like, really?

Zara clapped back hard. “Ignorant write-up,” she called it. Asked where this idea came from — that every cop, every soldier, every traffic warden suddenly becomes the President’s avatar just because they wear a badge. “So a drunk officer shaking down drivers in Ikot Ekpene is acting for Tinubu? Come on.”

She nailed it: In a democracy, civilians run the show. The FCT Minister? Appointed by the President himself. Direct line. Not some random barracks commander taking orders from a retired admiral with land issues.

“Imagine if it were Soludo,” she wrote. Or any Southeast governor. Would Chidoka still be preaching military reverence? Doubt it. This ain’t about protocol. It’s about politics. About Wike being the landlord of Aso Rock — literally revoking properties, reshaping Abuja’s skyline, stepping on toes left and right. People either love him or wanna see him fall. No middle ground.

And that poor young officer? Zara feels for him. “His next posting will be… interesting.” Translation: career suicide. Or fast-tracked promotion. Depends who’s holding the pen.

She also slammed the military for turning civil disputes into armed standoffs. “Barracks and war fronts are your home,” she quipped. “Not land protection gigs.” This ain’t 1985. We’re supposed to be democratic. Supposed to be.

Funny thing? This land drama’s been simmering over a year. Retired admiral using active-duty troops to scare off neighbors, officials, anyone asking questions. And nobody blinked. Until Wike showed up. Then? Fireworks.

FCTA already demolished 11 police duplexes recently — built under power lines, illegal as sin. Wike’s not playing. Says Development Control never approved this land. Promises escalation. Paper trail? Bring it.

Navy’s response? Radio silence. Spokesman Adams-Aliyu: “No reply for now.” Which, in Nigerian official-speak, means “We’re figuring out who to blame.”

Bottom line? When soldiers guard private property instead of national borders, something’s broken. When ministers scream at uniforms on camera, something’s tense. When activists and influencers become the real watchdogs? Something’s shifted.

This isn’t just about land. It’s about power. Who has it. Who flaunts it. Who hides behind uniforms to keep it.

And yeah — Sowore called it. Misplaced priorities. Entrenched self-interest. The privileged few, protected by state machinery. While the rest? Just watching. Tweeting. Praying.

Welcome to Nigeria. Where even dirt has drama.