…Defence Minister backs soldiers, Buratai, others demand apology
A fierce national debate has erupted, following the heated confrontation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and a Naval officer at a disputed plot of land in Abuja, with the Defence Minister, military veterans, a former Army chief, and a constitutional lawyer all weighing-in with sharply divided views.
The face-off, which occurred on Tuesday at Plot 1946 in the Gaduwa District, was captured in a viral video showing Wike berating the officer for allegedly protecting an “illegally acquired” property reportedly linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff. The visibly angry minister accused the military of encroaching on government land, asking: “Because you are an officer? Nobody does that. The man took land because he was the Chief of Naval Staff?”
The officer, who identified himself as A.M. Yerima countered that he was acting on lawful orders and that the land was legally acquired – prompting a tense exchange, during which Wike called him “a very big fool,” an outburst that has since drawn widespread condemnation.
In a statement from his office, Wike defended his actions, saying he acted to uphold the law against “acts of impunity”, and vowed that the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) would not tolerate illegal developments protected by security operatives. “I will not succumb to blackmail or intimidation”, he said, insisting that the use of military personnel to defend private interests was unlawful.
However, the Nigerian Navy has maintained silence on the controversy. When contacted, Navy spokesman A. Adams-Aliyu said there was “no reply for now”.
The clash has drawn strong reactions from various quarters. The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, declared yesterday that no soldier or officer acting on lawful orders would be punished for the incident. “We will always protect officers and our armed forces personnel on lawful duty”, Badaru said, at the launch of the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebration in Abuja. “Any officer on lawful duty will be protected if he is doing his job lawfully and doing it well”, he stated.
Echoing similar sentiments, a coalition of Nigerian military veterans demanded that Wike apologise for what they called his “abusive and disrespectful conduct” toward the officer. In a statement by its spokesperson, Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, the veterans warned that any attempt to sanction the officer would be met with strong resistance. “How can a public office holder call an officer ‘a fool’ on camera?” the group queried, adding that such behaviour undermines the dignity of uniformed personnel and public institutions.
Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd), also criticised Wike’s actions, describing them as “a threat to national security.” In a statement, Buratai said, “A minister’s verbal assault on a uniformed officer of the Nigerian Armed Forces transcends mere misconduct; it represents a palpable threat to national security and institutional integrity”. He called on Wike to apologise to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Commander-in-Chief, and to the officer involved, arguing that such incidents erode military discipline and the chain of command.
As the controversy deepens, the incident has exposed simmering tensions between civilian authority and the military, reviving old questions about the balance between civil governance and the autonomy of the armed forces – with both sides now standing their ground in what is fast becoming a test of Nigeria’s democratic discipline.
