Nigerian Defence Minister, Bello Matawalle, has said the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, defied the advice of top military chiefs and went ahead to confront a naval officer, Lieutenant Commander Yerima, at a disputed site in Abuja.
SaharaReporters had reported how Wike engaged in a heated argument with the naval officer during a visit to a property site in Gaduwa District, Gudu, Abuja, allegedly occupied by the military.
In a video that went viral on social media, Wike was seen accusing the officer of obstructing his directive regarding the land.
Speaking in an interview with DCL Hausa, Matawalle described the incident as unfortunate and said Wike had earlier contacted both the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Naval Staff, who advised him to allow the military to investigate the matter before taking any action.
“What happened between Minister Wike and the officer is unfortunate. When he got there, the officer explained that he was simply obeying orders given to him. Wike should not have exchanged words with the officer; he ought to have addressed his concerns through the officer’s superiors,” the minister said.
Matawalle explained that the naval officer only acted according to instructions and had shown discipline and respect during the exchange.
“He (Wike) is our colleague, and Wike could have reached out to us to resolve whatever issue. The officer’s action was lawful—he was trained to be disciplined, loyal, and obedient to orders. Therefore, the young officer only carried out his duty worthy of commendation,” he stated.
According to the Defence Minister, the officer did not violate any military rule and conducted himself properly throughout the encounter.
“He did not commit any offence under military regulations; he merely obeyed a lawful order and followed due process. If you observe carefully, he spoke respectfully and conducted himself properly,” Matawalle added.
He further cautioned that government officials must show respect to members of the Armed Forces, noting that disrespect to a uniformed officer indirectly undermines the authority of the President as Commander-in-Chief.
“There is, therefore, no offence under military law for which he should be charged. Wike should not have engaged him in an altercation, especially out of respect for the uniform he was wearing. Anyone who disrespects a soldier indirectly disrespects the President, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. There is, therefore, no basis for any punishment against the officer,” he said.
Matawalle clarified that his remarks were not meant to justify indiscipline within the military but to emphasise the importance of following command procedures.
“This is not about supporting the military to act disrespectfully toward civilians. The Minister should understand that every officer has superiors. I gathered that he called the Chief of Defence Staff, who advised him to wait for an investigation,” he explained.
The Defence Minister revealed that Wike ignored the advice and instead rushed to the site to personally confront the officers.
“However, he did not wait and instead went straight to the site. As a leader, he ought to have exercised patience and waited for the outcome of the investigation,” Matawalle said.