On The Frontline With Boma
There are moments in a nation’s life when tempers rise, egos collide, and the line between civil authority and military discipline becomes blurred. The recent altercation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and a 33-year-old military officer, has once again drawn national attention to that delicate boundary.
The incident, which has dominated conversations in recent days, goes beyond a mere exchange of words. It raises deeper questions about how authority is exercised in a democracy and how restraint should be shown, especially by those who hold public office.
Nigeria’s democracy is not new to tension between politicians and security agencies. From checkpoints to demolition sites, from roadblocks to right-of-way disputes, we have seen how easily civility can give way to confrontation.
The FCT, by its very conception, was meant to be a model of order — a space where laws are respected and where governance reflects fairness. Yet, over time, Abuja has become a theatre of land controversies, overlapping claims, and questionable allocations.
Land, it appears, is at the heart of this latest disagreement. Who owns what? Who gave the approval? Who encroached on whom? These are questions that have lingered too long within the capital’s administrative maze.
If one listens closely, the argument is not just about a patch of land or a demolished structure. It’s about how power is used and who gets to decide what’s right or wrong.
Minister Wike, known for his assertiveness, has said time and again that the FCT must be sanitized — that the law must take its course. But in enforcing that vision, there are boundaries that should not be crossed.
On the other hand, the military remains one of the country’s most disciplined institutions. Its officers are trained to obey, to protect, and to act with restraint. When one of its own feels wronged in public or treated without courtesy, it touches the nerve of an institution that values hierarchy and respect.
It is, therefore, unsurprising that the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, came to the defence of the young officer. His response was cautious but firm, stressing the need for mutual respect between civilians and the military.
Equally significant was the chorus of support from retired military chiefs and veterans who felt the officer had been unfairly treated. Their collective voice carried a subtle warning — that civilian authorities must remember that the military, though under civilian control, is an institution built on pride and service.
It would be naïve to dismiss such reactions. They reflect a growing unease — not just about the incident itself but about how fragile the relationship between civil and military power can be.
The West African subregion has lately become a graveyard of fallen democracies. From Mali to Niger, Burkina Faso to Guinea, the military has found reason or excuse to return to power. Each coup, no matter how it is justified, chips away at the democratic progress the region has fought so hard to build.
Nigeria, as the regional leader, cannot afford even a whisper of that possibility. Every action, every confrontation, and every display of arrogance from either side must be measured against the hard lessons of history.
Those who lived under military rule do not need to be reminded of its consequences. They remember the long queues for basic commodities, the silence of fear, the midnight knocks on doors, and the decrees that replaced dialogue.
Under military rule, citizens lived with the knowledge that power was absolute — unquestionable, often ruthless. Civil rule, with all its imperfections, at least gives room for dialogue, accountability, and the ballot box.
This is why democracy must be nurtured, not strained by careless words or actions. Ministers, governors, legislators, and even the President must remember that civilian leadership thrives on persuasion, not intimidation.
Likewise, the military must remember that its constitutional duty is to defend, not to dominate. The respect it commands today is because it stayed away from politics and earned public trust through professionalism.
That is why incidents like this should be handled with restraint and mutual respect. What begins as a small confrontation can easily spiral into institutional mistrust, and that is dangerous for a country still consolidating its democracy.
When U.S. President Donald Trump once hinted at the idea of military involvement “to restore order,” the backlash was immediate. It reminded the world that even in advanced democracies, the temptation to use force rather than dialogue lurks in the shadows.
The same lesson applies here: the strength of democracy lies not in how loudly power is exercised but in how wisely it is managed.
In the case of the FCT, there’s a larger issue to confront — governance. Abuja should be a model city, not a reflection of the chaos that pervades other parts of the country. The laws governing land, access, and development must be clear, fair, and consistently applied.
If the right systems were in place, perhaps there would be no need for confrontations between ministers and military officers in the first place.
Good governance would mean that citizens, public servants, and even the military understand their limits and responsibilities. It would mean that rules are transparent, that procedures are respected, and that nobody feels humiliated or above the law.
At the end of the day, the real question is not “Who is right?” or “Who is wrong?” It is “What is right for democracy?”
Our leaders must learn that caution is not weakness; it is wisdom. Authority must walk hand in hand with humility. And respect, whether from the uniformed or the elected, must be mutual.
If the Wike–military officer episode teaches us anything, it is that our democracy is still learning to breathe. The least we can do is not to choke it with avoidable confrontations.
Nigeria cannot afford another crack in its fragile democratic wall. The price, as history has shown, is always too high.
On The Frontline With Boma is published by The Port Harcourt Telegraph Newspaper authored by the Managing Editor .
