Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Bello Matawalle, has faulted the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over his public altercation with a naval officer during a land dispute in Abuja, describing the incident as “unfortunate and unnecessary.”
Speaking in an interview with DCL Hausa, Matawalle revealed that Wike had been advised by both the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) to allow the military to investigate the matter before taking any action — advice he said Wike ignored.
“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,” Matawalle said.
He explained that the naval officer involved in the confrontation, Lieutenant Commander Yerima, acted professionally and showed restraint despite the heated exchange.
“The officer only carried out his duty worthy of commendation. He did not commit any offence under military regulations; he merely obeyed a lawful order and followed due process,” the minister added.
Matawalle stressed that public officials must show respect to members of the Armed Forces, warning that disrespecting a uniformed officer amounts to undermining the authority of the President, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
“Anyone who disrespects a soldier indirectly disrespects the President. There is, therefore, no basis for any punishment against the officer,” he noted.
The Defence Minister clarified that his remarks were not an endorsement of indiscipline but a call for proper protocol and command procedures to be followed.
“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,” Matawalle said.
According to him, Wike disregarded the advice and proceeded to personally confront the naval personnel at the disputed site in Abuja’s Gaduwa District.
“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,” he said.
The Defence Minister disclosed that the Chief of Naval Staff has since visited the area to begin a formal investigation into the ownership of the land.
“Now that the Chief of Naval Staff has visited the area—since it involves a land dispute—the matter will be investigated to know who owns the lawful documents,” he explained.
He further advised that any revocation of land or enforcement action should follow “proper administrative and diplomatic procedures rather than confrontation.”
“We have not received any formal complaint from Wike, but I called him after the video went viral and advised that he should have spoken with me before going there, rather than confronting the officers directly,” Matawalle concluded.
The confrontation between Wike and the naval officer was captured in a viral video showing the FCT Minister accusing the officer of obstructing his directives concerning the disputed land. The incident has sparked public debate about the limits of ministerial authority and civil-military relations in Nigeria.
About the Author
Discover more from VOICE OF THE PEOPLE
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
