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By Oscar Okhifo
Human rights activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 election, Omoyele Sowore, has criticised what he describes as the growing trend of diverting national security resources to protect personal interests rather than the country.
Sowore’s remarks follow a heated confrontation earlier on Tuesday between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike and a military officer in Abuja over land dispute.
In a video circulating online, the soldier, who insisted he was acting on “orders,” refused to grant Wike access to the disputed property.
The minister, visibly agitated, shouted at the soldier, questioning his authority.
“Who are you? Order from where and from who?” Wike was heard yelling, before unleashing several unkind remarks.
The officer, however, maintained calm throughout the altercation but did not allow the minister access to the landed property.
As Wike eventually turned away with his entourage, he fired back, “Tell your principal to go ahead and start developing it then, let’s see.”
Reacting, Sowore said the incident underscores a deeper systemic issue in which national security apparatus is manipulated to serve powerful individuals rather than its constitutional duty to safeguard the nation.
He also referenced a previous case involving Wike as governor of Rivers State, when he allegedly obstructed Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives attempting to arrest a judge accused of corruption, a move widely condemned as shielding wrongdoing.
According to Sowore, such actions fuel public distrust in authority and reinforce a “culture of impunity” among Nigeria’s political elite.