Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has criticised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over his confrontation with a naval officer at a disputed land site in Abuja, saying the FCT minister ignored clear advice from Nigeria’s Service Chiefs.
Matawalle disclosed that both the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Naval Staff had advised Wike to refrain from personally visiting the Gaduwa District site until an internal investigation into the land ownership issue was concluded. Despite this, Wike proceeded to the location, where he was captured in a viral video engaging in a verbal clash with Lt. Commander Yerima, who was stationed there on official directive.
The Defence Minister said the naval officer acted within the law and under proper military instruction, insisting that no offence was committed. He stressed that uniformed officers deserve respect from civilian authorities, adding that any public altercation with military personnel undermines the authority of the President, who is the Commander-in-Chief.
Matawalle described the incident as “regrettable” and “avoidable,” noting that Wike should have routed his concerns through the appropriate military hierarchy instead of confronting the officer directly.
He confirmed that the Navy has already opened a formal investigation into the rightful ownership of the land in question, though the Defence Ministry is yet to receive a formal petition from Wike regarding the dispute.
The clash has sparked fresh debate on civil-military relations and protocol, especially concerning how government officials interact with officers deployed on official duties.
