The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has described the recent confrontation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and a naval officer, Lieutenant A.M. Yerima, as unnecessary and entirely avoidable.
The clash, which occurred over a disputed plot of land in Abuja, went viral earlier in the week after a video surfaced showing Wike in a heated exchange with the uniformed officer.
Speaking in an interview with DCL Hausa, Matawalle revealed that Wike had been advised by both the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Naval Staff to allow the military to handle the issue internally, but the minister reportedly refused.
“What happened between Minister Wike and the officer is unfortunate,” Matawalle said.
“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.”
He added that the altercation could have been avoided if Wike had followed protocol.
“He 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.”
The Defence Minister clarified that Lieutenant Yerima did not violate any military code of conduct, noting that he remained respectful and professional throughout the encounter.
“He did not commit any offence under military regulations. He merely obeyed a lawful order and followed due process,” Matawalle said.
“If you observe carefully, he spoke respectfully and conducted himself properly.”
Matawalle also cautioned public officials against disrespecting members of the armed forces, stressing that such behaviour undermines the authority of the Commander-in-Chief, President Bola Tinubu.
“Anyone who disrespects a soldier indirectly disrespects the President, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces,” he stated. “There is, therefore, no basis for any punishment against the officer.”
The minister emphasised that his comments were not an endorsement of military insubordination but a reminder that every officer answers to a superior and that civil authorities should respect established procedures.
“This is not about supporting the military to act disrespectfully toward civilians.
The Minister should understand that every officer has superiors,” he clarified. “I gathered that he called the Chief of Defence Staff, who advised him to wait for an investigation.”
According to Matawalle, the Chief of Naval Staff also assured Wike that an inquiry into the land dispute would be conducted, yet the FCT Minister proceeded to visit the site instead of exercising patience.
“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,” Matawalle confirmed.
He added that if the land in question had been revoked, proper administrative and diplomatic processes should have been followed rather than resorting to confrontation.
“If the land has been revoked, there are established procedures to be followed diplomatically,” he stated.
The Defence Minister noted that while his ministry had not received a formal complaint from Wike, he personally reached out to the FCT Minister after the video went viral to encourage dialogue and calm tensions.
