MINISTERIAL DRAMA: Another Nigerian Minister dismisses thought of punishment for naval officer fought by Wike
*Says there will be no basis for that
*What really happened, a source privy to development
By KEMI KASUMU
The DEFENDER reports that military, being the last power bloc for the defence of the nation when every other power structure collapses, has its own tradition and culture that transcend the knowledge of any civilian no matter how highly placed.
Statement from another senior public officer in the Nigeria’s Ministry of Defence has dismissed any thought or expectation of punishment in whatever form for Lieutenant AM Yerima, the naval officer, who chose institution.against personality in public service when Nyesom Wike, Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), pushed him to disobey superior order in Abuja, on Tuesday November 11, 2025.
The DEFENDER reports that military, being the last power bloc for the defence of the nation when every other power structure collapses, has its own tradition and culture that transcend the knowledge of any civilian no matter how highly placed.
Lieutenant Yerima, principal staff officer (PSO) to Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, who served as Chief of Naval Staff during the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, was given instructions to lead a special team of soldiers from the Nigerian Navy to provide cover, on a construction site of the boss, for the civilian engineers working for him and who were being often harassed by some police operatives working for certain officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) despite having seen all documents backing his principal’s ownership of the land.
Wike, on getting to the site, tried to force his way into the facility but the officer, giving his soldiers appropriate command, refused him leading the minister to using all sorts of derogatory words like calling the naval officer, who maintained calmness, politeness and avoidance of insults to the minister even in the face of such daunting provocations, but stood his ground on the instructions he was given as a commissioned officer with integrity.
Speaking on the development, the Minister of State for Defence, Mohammed Bello Matawalle, described the the FCT Minister’s confrontation with the naval officer as “unnecessary and avoidable.”
The clash, which occurred over a disputed parcel of land in Abuja’s Gaduwa District, saw Wike confronting Lieutenant Yerima and his team of armed naval personnel guarding the property.
In a video widely circulated online, Wike accused the retired naval chief of unlawfully taking possession of the land — a scene that sparked widespread debate over protocol and civility among government officials.
Speaking in an interview with DCL Hausa on Wednesday, Matawalle said the incident should have been handled through formal communication rather than a public altercation.
“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.
According to Matawalle, the naval officer conducted himself professionally and acted strictly under orders, maintaining composure throughout the encounter.
“He (Wike) is our colleague, and Wike could have reached out to us to resolve whatever issue. The officer’s action was lawful because 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.
The minister further clarified that the officer’s actions did not breach any military code of conduct.
“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 cautioned public officials against undermining the authority of the armed forces, noting that disrespecting men in uniform indirectly challenges the authority of the 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 also clarified that his remarks were not a defence of military misconduct but a reminder that government officials must respect the established chain of command.
“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.
He added that despite receiving such advice, Wike proceeded to the site to confront the naval personnel.
“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.
The Defence Minister disclosed that the Chief of Naval Staff had since visited the disputed land to commence a formal inquiry into the ownership.
“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 said.
Matawalle stressed that any revocation or reassignment of the land should follow established administrative procedures rather than confrontation.
“If the land has been revoked, there are established procedures to be followed diplomatically,” he stated.
He further revealed that while the Defence Ministry has not received a formal report from Wike regarding the incident, he personally reached out to the FCT Minister after the video surfaced.
“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 added.
A source privy to the land dispute said, “The incident occurred at Gaduwa before Games Village at about 12:55 on Tuesday November 11, 2025. The land was acquired by Vice Admiral AZ Gambo in 2020 with all the legal documents.
“In September 2025, the Admiral decided to develop his land, and after about a week, the Development Control Council of the FCTA came around and asked for the documents and building approval. The engineer showed them.
“After two days, they came back and stated that the land had been revoked by the current FCT Minister (Wike) with no conditions provided. Efforts have been made to reach out to him to ask why. But they gave no concrete or genuine reasons.
“Then they came to stop the work, which prompted us to pursue them. The Minister then came around on Saturday and issued enough threats stating that they were coming to bring down the building.
“Earlier Tuesday, around 11am, two bulldozers from Development Control came to bring down the building, but we refused them.
“Despite all efforts being abortive. He (Wike) came down by himself, and that’s when we blocked him from the entrance and did not grant him access to the facility.
“The minister had to call the Chief of Defence Staff and reported the matter to him. He then gave the phone to the officer who introduced himself to the CDS and told him his mission on the site that civilian engineers working for his boss, the Vice Admiral, have been harassed and threatened often by certain officials of FCTA despite having all legal documents on the site.
“When Wike saw that the officer was resolute on the order given to him with his soldiers well positioned already forming a mental perimeter that the minister and his gun carrying police and DSS operatives must not cross, he turned back and left. That was what transpired.”
