The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has stated that Lieutenant A. Yerima, the naval officer involved in Tuesday’s confrontation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, committed no offence.
The face-off, which took place over a disputed parcel of land in Abuja, became a trending topic after a video of the heated exchange surfaced on social media.
Speaking in an interview with DCL Hausa on Wednesday, Matawalle described the incident as “unnecessary and avoidable,” adding that it should have been handled through formal communication rather than a public confrontation.
“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,” Matawalle said.
The Defence Minister emphasised that Yerima’s actions were lawful and in line with military discipline and procedure.
“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,” he added.
Matawalle further stated that Yerima conducted himself respectfully and committed no offence under military regulations.
“There is 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,” he noted.
He clarified that his comments did not imply that military officers should act disrespectfully toward civilians, but stressed that government officials must follow due process.
“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. However, he did not wait and instead went straight to the site,” Matawalle explained.
The Minister confirmed that the Chief of Naval Staff has since visited the site, adding that the matter will be investigated to determine the rightful ownership of the land in question.
“If the land has been revoked, there are established procedures to be followed diplomatically. 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 concluded.
The confrontation has sparked widespread public debate on civil-military relations and the need for improved coordination between government agencies.
