The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, believes that the clash involving the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and a naval officer, Lieutenant A. Yerima, over an alleged land dispute, should have been resolved through official channels.
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 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.
“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,” the minister said.
“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.”
He cautioned public officials against disrespecting uniformed personnel, warning that doing so undermines the authority of the President, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
“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.
“This is not about supporting the military to act disrespectfully towards civilians. 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.”
He explained that Wike ignored the advice and proceeded to confront the officers on-site.
“However, he did not wait and instead went straight to the site. As a leader, he ought to have exercised patience and waited for the outcome of the investigation,” Matawalle said.
