Defence Minister faults Wike’s handling of Naval land dispute

Defence Minister faults Wike’s handling of Naval land dispute

The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence has launched a formal investigation into the reported land dispute between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and a naval officer, Lieutenant A. Yerima.

The incident, which reportedly occurred in Abuja on Tuesday, has sparked public debate on civil–military relations within the FCT.

According to reports, Lieutenant Yerima acted under the directive of former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Zubairu Gambo (retd.), during a disagreement involving the disputed property.

Speaking in an interview with DCL Hausa, Matawalle described the confrontation as “unnecessary and avoidable”, noting that it amounted to indirect disrespect to President Bola Tinubu, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

“What happened between Minister Wike and the officer is unfortunate. The officer explained that he was obeying orders. Wike should not have exchanged words with him but rather channelled his concerns through the officer’s superior,” Matawalle said.

He explained that Wike had earlier contacted both the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Naval Staff, who advised him to allow the military to handle the issue internally before taking further action.

Matawalle disclosed that despite these assurances, the FCT Minister proceeded to the site, disregarding repeated advice to wait for an official inquiry.

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“The Minister should understand that every officer has superiors. He was advised to wait for an investigation but chose to visit the site and confront the officer. As a leader, he ought to have exercised patience,” the minister stated.

Clarifying his stance, Matawalle stressed that his comments should not be misconstrued as defending military misconduct but as a reminder of the importance of discipline and respect for the chain of command.

“The officer acted lawfully and respectfully. He was trained to obey orders and did not commit any offence under military regulations,” he noted.
“Anyone who disrespects a soldier indirectly disrespects the President, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.”

The minister added that the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, has since visited the disputed site to begin a comprehensive investigation into the ownership and allocation of the land.

“Now that the Chief of Naval Staff has visited the area, the matter will be investigated to determine who holds the lawful documents. If the land has been revoked, there are established procedures to address it,” Matawalle said.

He revealed that although the Ministry of Defence had not received any formal complaint from Wike, he personally contacted the FCT Minister after the video of the confrontation went viral.

Meanwhile, Minister of Defence Mohammed Abubakar has reaffirmed that no officer performing lawful duties will face punishment over the incident.

“We will always protect officers and personnel on lawful duty. Any officer acting within the law will be protected,” Abubakar said.

Defence Minister faults Wike’s handling of Naval land dispute