Story by Iyiola Ayomide
The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has criticised the conduct of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over his confrontation with a naval officer at a disputed site in Abuja.
Mr Matawalle said the altercation was avoidable, adding that Mr Wike went ahead to visit the site despite being advised by both the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) to allow the military handle the matter through official channels.
Speaking in an interview with DCL Hausa on Wednesday, the defence minister described the incident as unfortunate, explaining that the naval officer involved, Lieutenant AY Yerima, was acting on lawful orders and in line with military discipline.
Wike should not have exchanged words with the officer; he ought to have addressed his concerns through the officer’s superiors.”
The minister insisted that Lt. Yerima committed no offence under military law and therefore would not face any disciplinary action.
“There is no offence under military law for which he should be charged,” he said.
“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.”
Mr Matawalle clarified that his remarks were not meant to encourage indiscipline within the military but to emphasise the importance of maintaining the chain of command and due process in civil-military relations.
“This is not about supporting the military to act disrespectfully toward civilians. The Minister should understand that every officer has superiors,” he stated.
He revealed that Mr Wike had contacted the CDS, who advised him to allow the military to investigate the issue, and later spoke with the CNS, who also assured him that a formal inquiry would be conducted within 24 hours.
However, according to Matawalle, the FCT Minister disregarded both pieces of advice and proceeded to the site personally, where the confrontation with the officer took place.
The minister confirmed that the Chief of Naval Staff has since visited the disputed site to begin a full 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 determine who possesses the rightful documents,” he added.
Mr Matawalle stressed that if the land had been revoked, such action should have been carried out through proper administrative and diplomatic processes.
“If the land has been revoked, there are established procedures to be followed diplomatically,” he said.
He also disclosed that the Ministry of Defence had not received any formal complaint from Mr Wike regarding the incident.
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.