The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has criticised the public confrontation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and a naval officer, Lieutenant A. Yerima, describing it as needless and capable of being avoided if proper procedures had been followed.
The clash, which occurred on Tuesday in Abuja’s Gaduwa District, stemmed from a disagreement over the ownership of a piece of land guarded by naval personnel reportedly acting under the instruction of former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Zubairu Gambo (retd.).
In a video that circulated online, Wike was seen angrily confronting the officer, accusing the retired naval chief of illegally taking over the property.
Speaking in an interview with DCL Hausa released on Wednesday, Matawalle said the situation should never have degenerated into a public altercation, noting that official communication channels existed for such matters.
“What happened between Minister Wike and the officer is unfortunate. “lWhen 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.
The minister revealed that Wike had earlier reached out to both the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Naval Staff, who had advised him to wait for an investigation before taking action.
“He (Wike) is our colleague, and he could have contacted us to resolve the matter. 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 added.
Matawalle maintained that Lieutenant Yerima acted professionally and did not breach any military code.
“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,” he explained.
Warning against disrespecting uniformed personnel, Matawalle said such conduct undermines the authority of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
“Anyone who disrespects a soldier indirectly disrespects the President, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. 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,” he added.
He clarified, however, that his position was not an excuse for military indiscipline but a reminder of the importance of observing the 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 noted.
According to Matawalle, Wike disregarded the advice and went ahead to personally confront the officers at the site. “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 further disclosed that the Chief of Naval Staff has since visited the disputed land to begin an inquiry into its ownership.
“Now that the Chief of Naval Staff has visited the area—since it involves a land dispute—the matter will be investigated to determine who holds the lawful documents,” he stated.
He emphasised that any revocation or administrative action on the land should follow due process. “If the land has been revoked, there are established procedures to be followed diplomatically,” Matawalle added.
While confirming that the Ministry of Defence had yet to receive a formal complaint from Wike, Matawalle said he personally contacted the 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,” he said.
