Retired members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria under the aegis of the ‘Coalition of Concerned Military Veterans’ have urged President Bola Tinubu to sack or redeploy the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over his recent face-off with a naval officer in Abuja.
The Coalition stated this in Kaduna at a press conference comprises retired generals and other senior military officers drawn from the Army, Air Force, and Navy.
The stand-off between FCT minister Nyesom Wike and Naval officer Yarima following a row over the ownership of a piece of land being guarded by some armed military officers led by Yerima, on the instruction of a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Zubairu Gambo (rtd.). Has spark more reactions. Wike had alleged that the ex-Chief of naval staff illegally took over the land. The viral video showed the visibly enraged minister confronting the officer.
However, the coalition warned that should President Tinubu fail to act, it would mobilize and occupy the FCT ministry until Wike is removed. The veterans made the demand at a press conference in Kaduna, where they described the minister’s conduct as “demeaning”, “unacceptable”, and “a direct insult to the Armed Forces and the Commander-in-Chief”.
Delivering the address, a member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Coalition, Col. Yusuf Ibrahim (rtd), said the video in which the FCT Minister referred to a naval officer as “a fool” was embarrassing and beneath the office Wike occupies. While contributing at the briefing, another member of the coalition, Dr. Awwal Abdullahi, who introduced himself as a Deputy Veteran Commander, accused the minister of showing a pattern of hostility toward military personnel.
The veterans commended the Minister of Defence, Badaru Abubakar; the Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle; the Chief of Defence Staff; and the Service Chiefs for their professional handling of the matter.
