ABUJA-The dust raised by the altercation between the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, and a naval officer in Abuja a few days ago is yet to settle, as former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, retd, and Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, yesterday warned that any act of disrespect towards the uniformed services amounted to an affront on the authority of the Nigerian state.
The minister actually dismissed any justification for disciplining Lieutenant A. Yerima, the naval officer involved in the fracas, describing the encounter as “unnecessary and avoidable.”
However, Wike yesterday debunked social media reports suggesting a personal beef with the military but insisted he would not succumb to intimidation.
In his keynote address at the national dialogue on media, terrorism, and national security, at the 21st All Nigeria Editors’ Conference, ANEC, 2025, in Abuja, Gen. Irabor said uniforms worn by military or security personnel go beyond the individual, stressing that they symbolise the power, dignity and sovereignty of the nation.
“The uniform is not about who is wearing it; it represents the authority of the state. Whether it’s a young officer or a senior one, when you make disparaging remarks or act against them, you are, in fact, insulting the state itself.”
Irabor, who led the Nigerian Armed Forces from 2021 to 2023, described the public reactions to the FCT minister’s encounter with the officer as “largely misguided,” adding that many commentators had “missed the real issue.”
He reminded citizens that the military operates under strict codes of conduct, adding that no one, not even a general, had the right to physically assault or publicly humiliate a subordinate.
“Even as a General, I cannot slap my soldier. If I do, I will face disciplinary action. There are laid-down mechanisms for addressing misconduct, and that is what distinguishes a state governed by law from a jungle, “he added.
Drawing from legal principles, the retired general explained that every offence must be viewed through two lenses , actus reus (the act itself) and mens rea (the intent behind it).
He said while the FCT minister had authority over land matters, the heart of the controversy laid in the respect owed to state authority as embodied by uniformed officers.
Calling for restraint and respect in dealing with uniformed personnel, Irabor said the rule of law provides channels for redress if a soldier or police officer erred.
“If the person in uniform misuses his authority, he will be dealt with but the uniform itself must be respected. That’s what sustains order in a civilised society,” he added.
No basis to sanction naval officer in Wike clash – Matawalle
On his part, the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, dismissed any justification for disciplining Lieutenant A. Yerima, the naval officer involved in the row with Wike.
Speaking in an interview with DCL Hausa on Wednesday, Matawalle said the incident should have been handled through formal communication, rather than a public altercation.
“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,” the minister said.
According to him, the naval officer conducted himself professionally and acted strictly under orders, maintaining composure throughout the encounter.
“He (Wike) 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,” he stated.
The minister further clarified that the officer’s actions did not breach any military code of conduct.
“He did not commit any offence under military regulations; he merely obeyed a lawful order and followed due process. If you observe carefully, he spoke respectfully and conducted himself properly,” Matawalle added.
He cautioned public officials against undermining the authority of the armed forces, noting that disrespecting men in uniform indirectly challenged the authority of the Commander-in-Chief.
“There is, therefore, 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. There is, therefore, no basis for any punishment against the officer,” he said.
Wike denies rift with military, insists on rule of law
Apparently defending his action, Wike yesterday debunked social media reports suggesting a personal beef with the military.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja, the minister said the FCT Administration would not succumb to intimidation or allow any individual, regardless of status, to violate land use regulations or obstruct government officials performing their lawful duties.
Wike, who insisted that his actions had been guided strictly by law and not sentiment or emotion, said:
“You are told to obey legal things. So if, because you are a security aide, to say, a former president, or whatever and then you shoot at someone, you think you will not be charged for murder, because it is a former president that gave you the order?
“When people have problems, we try to resolve them, but don’t use intimidation, don’t try to weaken government. You cannot weaken government, because when we allow this now, others will follow suit. And then they will say, when it happened to this and that, what did you do?
“So, gentlemen, I have respect for the military. I will continue to respect them because I know what they stand for. So anybody trying to bring collision there, to say, oh, he is having a problem with the military, it is not correct. I don’t have a problem with the military and I will not have a problem.
“If we are having a problem with military, I know where to run to, I will go to the chief of defence staff, I will go to the chief of army staff, or chief of naval staff, or air force, or chief of defence intelligence etc. I could go to the president. I could do that.
‘’But as a private individual, how many people would I run to? If you, you or you have a problem with us, I will run to the president? Who does that? So, all I will be telling them every day is, this individual is having a problem with us, this individual is having problems? So I don’t have a problem with the military”, he said.
Wike, however, said the issue had been blown out of proportion by those bent on portraying him as being at loggerheads with the military.
He said it was FCT Administration’s duty to protect the integrity of Abuja’s master plan and ensure that all developments conformed with approved land use provisions.
“Government cannot function in a lawless society. If we allow one person to violate the rules because of who he is, others will follow. That is how impunity begins. We must learn to obey the law, irrespective of who is involved,” he said.
Minister deserves national apology over clash with naval officer – PANDEF
The Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, the apex socio-political body of the South-South geo-political zone has, however, come to the defence of the minister, saying he deserved national apology for being prevented from performing his duties.
National Chairman of PANDEF, Ambassador Godknows Igali, in a statement yesterday, called on President Bola Tinubu to direct the respective security and law enforcement authorities to fully investigate the incident and bring those involved to book.
This, he said, will preserve the professionalism in the military and guarantee respect for constituted civil authority, which is the most basic foundation for building a stable, virile democracy where the law rules at all times.
He insisted that Wike must be fully protected from such overzealousness, as he continued to carry out his assigned duties with personal passion and zeal.
Ambassador Igali emphasised that the behaviour of the naval officer was not just an affront on Wike, but an open show of disdain for the office of the President, whose powers, vested in the FCT minister, were so publicly ridiculed.
Atiku denies giving SUV to naval officer in face-off with Wike
Meanwhile, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has denied reports claiming he gifted a brand-new Toyota SUV to Lieutenant Ahmed Yerima, the naval officer involved in the altercation with Wike.
In a statement issued via his X handle yesterday, Atiku’s Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, described the report, which had been circulating widely on social media, as completely false and without any factual basis.
Ibe, therefore, urged the public to disregard the fabricated story.
“His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, Vice President of Nigeria (1999–2007), did not gift Lt. Ahmed Yerima — or any other individual — a brand new Toyota SUV, contrary to the false reports currently circulating on social media.
“The story is entirely fabricated and should be completely disregarded by the public,” he said.
The viral claim, which emerged on Facebook on Wednesday, alleged that Atiku rewarded the naval officer, following his reported confrontation with Wike over an alleged land-grabbing incident in Abuja.
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