Viral Video: Police Attached to Wike Sparks Reaction After Telling Soldiers: "The Powerful Are Fighting, We're The Ones Hungry, This Fight is For The Rich, Not Our Fight!"

By: Israel Adeleke

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that, a police officer attached to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has sparked widespread reactions after a viral video captured him, reportedly warning securiry personnel using Hausa language, to stay away from a heated altercation between the minister and a naval officer, A.M. Yerima.

OTN News further reports that, in the trending video, the officer, believed to be Wike’s orderly, was heard speaking in Hausa, cautioning one of the soldiers to avoid involvement in the confrontation, which reportedly arose over a disputed parcel of land said to belong to a retired naval chief.

“The powerful are fighting, while you and I are the ones suffering and hungry. If they’re enjoying the wealth meant for the people, how much do you think they’ll give you?” the officer said in the video, urging restraint and advising his military colleague not to risk his life over the quarrel.

OTN News observes that the remark, which has since gone viral, has been widely interpreted as an expression of frustration among lower-ranking security officers over the inequality, corruption, and self-interest that many believe plague Nigeria’s leadership and security institutions.

Reacting to the viral clip, human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, described the police officer’s words as a rare moment of honesty that exposed the decay within Nigeria’s governance system.

OTN News further observes that, Sowore, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), wrote: “The most important revelation from the dirty clash between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and the Nigerian Navy over a parcel of land is not the shouting match itself, but the moment a Nigerian Police officer quietly warned an Army colleague that this is not our fight, but a fight between big men (thieves).”

He added that the incident “confirms the deep rot of self-interest within the security and political establishment officials who serve a privileged minority instead of protecting the nation,” describing Wike as “a perfect example of how personal power struggles routinely overshadow the national interest.”

The confrontation between the minister and the naval officer has reignited public debate over the abuse of power and the growing arrogance of political elites.

Meanwhile, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Transparency International (TI) Nigeria have condemned what they termed the “reckless and uncivil behaviour” of public officials, warning that such actions erode public trust and tarnish the nation’s image.

In a statement signed by CISLAC’s Executive Director, Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), the group said, “Public officials are supposed to be civil and civilised in carrying out their responsibilities and must understand the code of conduct that guides public office. The idea of public officials attacking security personnel is unacceptable and passes a wrong message about the nation.”

Rafsanjani also noted that Wike’s actions reflect “a consistent pattern of arrogance and lack of emotional control,” which, according to him, dates back to his tenure as governor of Rivers State.

He added that more than 50 civil society organisations had called for an impartial investigation into the minister over alleged asset concealment, illicit enrichment, and violations of Nigeria’s asset declaration laws.

OTN News, however, observes that as the controversy deepens, the viral remarks of Wike’s police aide have further intensified public discourse on Nigeria’s growing socio-political divide, corruption among the elite, and the widening gulf between those in power and the ordinary citizens they are meant to serve.