The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said that he “wouldn’t have called a military personnel a fool”.

Wike said this at a press conference, following his recent altercation with a naval officer, Lieutenant A. Yerima, over an alleged land dispute in Abuja.

A dramatic confrontation unfolded on Tuesday in Abuja’s Gaduwa District as armed military officers, allegedly acting on the instructions of retired Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, resisted efforts by Wike to halt an unapproved development on a disputed parcel of land.

The incident occurred when officials of the FCT Administration (FCTA) arrived at Plot 1946 in Gaduwa to enforce a demolition order on what authorities described as an illegal structure.

The operation, however, met stiff resistance from uniformed personnel stationed at the site. Former Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Gambo, served under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2021.

Gambo’s name had reportedly surfaced as the alleged owner or beneficiary of the controversial property.

Reacting to the incident at a press conference, Wike said he was simply misinterpreted, as he “wouldn’t have called a military personnel a fool”.

“Some people said I said the boy is a fool. What I meant is you cannot carry out an illegal order. That is what I meant. I didn’t say, ‘Military, you are a fool.’ I couldn’t have said that,” he clarified.

“Those who are writing different stories, go and find out what really happened, carry out your investigative journalism very well. What I meant was that the soldiers were carrying out an illegal order.

“I know the role of the military, the role they are playing in this country, that they have passed through fighting insurgents and terrorists and I have always given my support to security agencies.”

The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, however, feels that the clash involving Wike and Lieutenant Yerima should have been resolved through official channels.

Reacting in an interview with DCL Hausa, released on its YouTube channel on Wednesday, Matawalle said the incident should have been resolved through official channels rather than a public exchange, adding that the confrontation between Wike and Yerima was unnecessary and avoidable.

According to Matawalle, Wike had earlier contacted both the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, and the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, “who advised him to allow the military to investigate the matter before taking any action.”

“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.

Speaking further, he explained that Yerima’s action was based strictly on instructions and hailed the naval officer for maintaining a professional and disciplined attitude throughout the encounter.