Bello Matawalle, Minister of State for Defence, described Tuesday’s clash between Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike and a naval officer, Lieutenant A. Yerima, over an alleged land dispute, as unnecessary and avoidable.
Chronicle NG reported that the standoff arose from a disagreement over the ownership of a piece of land in Gaduwa District in Abuja guarded by armed naval officers led by Yerima, who was said to be acting on the orders of a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Zubairu Gambo (retd.).
Wike had accused the ex-naval chief of illegally acquiring the land, as evidenced in a video which shows the clearly enraged FCT minister confronting the officer.
Matawalle stated in an interview with DCL Hausa, which was posted on the company’s YouTube page on Wednesday, that the incident should have been settled through formal channels rather than a public exchange.
He added that Wike had previously contacted both the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Naval Staff, who recommended him to let the military evaluate the situation before taking 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,” the minister said.
Matawalle claimed that Yerima followed orders precisely and maintained a professional and disciplined demeanor 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.
According to him, the officer followed all military rules and acted appropriately.
“He did not commit any offense 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.
The minister also warned public officials against disrespecting uniformed people, emphasizing that doing so weakens the authority of the President, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
“There is, therefore, no offense 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.
Matawalle explained that his remarks were not an encouragement of military indiscipline but rather a reminder of the value of following the chain of command.
“This is not about supporting the military to act disrespectfully toward 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.
He revealed 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.
The Defence Minister further stated that the Chief of Naval Staff had informed Wike that an investigation would be done, but the FCT Minister nonetheless visited the place.
“Wike also contacted the Chief of Naval Staff, who assured him that an investigation would be conducted. Yet again, he did not wait. It was supposed to be a one-day inquiry, but he chose to go there and confront them,” he noted.
Matawalle reported that the Chief of Naval Staff has since visited the disputed site to conduct a formal investigation into the land’s ownership.
“Now that the Chief of Naval Staff has visited the area—since it involves a land dispute—the matter will be investigated to know who owns the lawful documents,” he said.
He emphasized that if revocation of the land was required, it should have been done through correct administrative and diplomatic procedures rather than conflict.
“If the land has been revoked, there are established procedures to be followed diplomatically,” Matawalle stated.
The minister also revealed that while the Ministry of Defence has yet to receive a formal complaint from Wike over the incident, he personally reached out to the FCT minister after the video went viral.
“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,” Matawalle added.
