The Senior Special Adviser on Publicity and Communication to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, Lere Olayinka, has stated that not all orders from superiors are meant to be obeyed, especially when such orders are unlawful.
Olayinka made the remark on Wednesday 12th November 2025 during an interview on Channels Television’s “Sunrise Daily”, while reacting to the recent confrontation between the FCT Minister and personnel of the Nigerian Navy over a disputed piece of land in Abuja.
Reports had earlier revealed that Wike and officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) clashed with military officers guarding the land, which is allegedly under contention.
Addressing the incident, Olayinka faulted what he described as a “zero attitude to compliance” in Nigeria’s public institutions, emphasizing that such disregard for lawful authority often leads to unnecessary confrontations.
According to him: “Not all orders are meant to be obeyed simply because they come from a superior officer, except they are lawful; What happened yesterday is a reflection of how we operate in this country; There is a zero attitude to compliance, and that is painful.”
The confrontation between Wike’s team and the naval officers has stirred public debate on the limits of ministerial authority and the legality of military involvement in civil land disputes within the FCT.
While the FCTA has maintained that the land belongs to the government, sources within the military claim it is part of a property linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff.
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