Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, says confrontation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and a Naval officer, Lieutenant A. Yerima, over an alleged land dispute, was unnecessary and avoidable.
Recall that the standoff occurred following a disagreement over the ownership of a piece of land in Gaduwa District in Abuja guarded by armed Naval officers led by Yerima, who was said to be acting on the orders of a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Zubairu Gambo (retd.).
The FCT Minister had accused the ex-chief of Naval staff of illegally seizing the land, as seen in a viral video showing the visibly angry Wike in an altercation with the officer.
Matawalle in an interview with DCL Hausa, released on its YouTube channel on Wednesday, however, said the incident should have been resolved through official channels rather than a public exchange.
The Minister disclosed that 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 acted strictly on instructions and maintained a professional and disciplined attitude 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,” Matawalle stated.
He said the officer did not violate any military rule and conducted himself properly.
“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.
The minister therefore warned public officials against disrespecting uniformed personnel, stressing that doing so undermines the authority of 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. 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 quickly clarified that his comments should not be misunderstood as an endorsement of indiscipline by the military indiscipline, but a reminder of the importance of following 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 said.
The Minister disclosed that Wike ignored the advice and proceeded to confront the officers on-site.
“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 added that the Chief of Naval Staff had also assured Wike that an inquiry would be conducted, yet the FCT Minister still went to the location.
“Wike also contacted the Chief of Naval Staff, who assured him that an investigation would be conducted. Yet again, he did not wait. It was supposed to be a one-day inquiry, but he chose to go there and confront them,” he noted.
Matawalle confirmed that the Chief of Naval Staff had since visited the disputed site 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 said.
Matawalle stressed that if any revocation of the land was necessary, it should have been done through proper administrative and diplomatic procedures rather than confrontation.
“If the land has been revoked, there are established procedures to be followed diplomatically,” he stated.
The Minister disclosed that while the Ministry of Defence had yet to receive a formal complaint from Wike over the incident, he personally reached out to the FCT Minister after the video went viral.
“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 said.
