Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has ruled out any disciplinary action against Lieutenant A. Yerima, the naval officer involved in a public altercation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, describing the confrontation as “unnecessary and avoidable.”
The clash occurred on Tuesday at Gaduwa District in Abuja over a disputed parcel of land reportedly linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Zubairu Gambo (retd.). In a viral video, Wike was seen accusing the retired naval chief of illegally taking possession of the property, while confronting Yerima and his armed team guarding the site.
Speaking in an interview with DCL Hausa on Wednesday, Matawalle said the incident should have been handled through proper communication channels rather than a public face-off between government officials.
“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 minister commended Lieutenant Yerima for maintaining discipline and professionalism during the encounter, stating that the naval officer acted lawfully under instructions from his superiors.
“He (Wike) is our colleague, and he could have reached out to us to resolve the issue. The officer’s actions were 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 said.
Matawalle clarified that the officer did not breach any military regulation, emphasizing that he spoke respectfully and maintained composure throughout the exchange.
“There is, therefore, no offence under military law for which he should be charged. Anyone who disrespects a soldier indirectly disrespects the President, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces,” he added.
The minister cautioned public officials against undermining the military’s authority, stressing that established command structures must always be respected.
“This is not about supporting the military to act disrespectfully toward civilians. Every officer has superiors, and issues like this should be reported through the proper chain of command,” Matawalle explained.
He revealed that Wike had earlier contacted the Chief of Defence Staff, who reportedly advised him to wait for an investigation, but that the FCT Minister proceeded to visit the site regardless.
“As a leader, he ought to have exercised patience and waited for the outcome of the investigation,” he said.
Matawalle confirmed that the Chief of Naval Staff has since visited the disputed site to begin a formal inquiry 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 determine who holds the rightful documents,” he stated.
He stressed that any revocation or reassignment of government land should follow due administrative processes rather than direct confrontation.
“If the land has been revoked, there are established procedures to follow diplomatically,” he added.
Matawalle further disclosed that while his ministry has not received a formal report from Wike, he personally contacted the FCT Minister after the incident to urge dialogue.
“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 said.
