The Minister of State for Defence, Mr, Bello Matawalle, has revealed that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, defied the pieces of advice given him by top military chiefs and went ahead to confront a Naval officer, Lieutenant Commander Yerima, at a disputed plot of land in Gaduwa district of Abuja.
Matawalle, who described the incident as most unfortunate, said that Wike had earlier contacted the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Naval Staff, both of whom advised him to allow the military investigate the matter before taking any action.
This was as the Minister of State for Defence, cautioned government officials to learn to show respect to members of the Armed Forces, stressing that disrespect to a uniformed officer indirectly undermines the authority of the President as Commander-in-Chief.
Wike had in a trending video on social media engaged in an altercation with a Naval officer, Lt. Yerima on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, during an abrupt visit to a property site in Gaduwa District, Abuja allegedly owned by the military.
In the video, Wike was seen accusing the officer of obstructing his directive regarding the land and rain insults on the military officer.
However, the Minister of State for Defence, Mr, Bello Matawalle told DCL Hausa during an interview that Wike had earlier made contacts with the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Naval Staff, who advised him to allow the military to investigate the matter.
In the words of Matawalle; “When Wike 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 of State for Defence also said that the Ministry of Defence has not received any formal complaint from the FCTA over the incident, adding however that he personally reached out to Wike after the video went viral.
In the words of Matawalle; “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.
“Wike is our colleague, and he could have reached out to us to resolve whatever issue. The officer’s action was lawful. He was trained to be disciplined, loyal, and obedient to orders. Therefore, the young officer only carried out his duty worthy of commendation,” he stressed.
The Minister of State for Defence, noted that Lt. Yerima did not violate any military rule and conducted himself properly throughout the encounter.
In the words of Matawalle; “Navy Lt. Yerima 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.
“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,” the minister stated.
Matawalle however, said that his remarks were not meant to justify indiscipline within the military, but to emphasise the importance of following command procedures.
According to him; “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. The Chief of Naval Staff had also assured Wike that an inquiry would be conducted. He refused to wait and instead went straight to the site.
“As a leader, Wike ought to have exercised patience and wait for the outcome of the investigation. It was supposed to be a one-day inquiry, but he chose to go there and confront the soldiers,” the minister noted.
Matawalle confirmed that the Chief of Naval Staff has since visited the disputed area to begin a formal investigation into the ownership of the land, adding that since it involves a land dispute, the matter will be investigated to know who owns the lawful documents.
The Minister of State for Defence specifically said that any revocation of the land should have followed proper administrative and diplomatic procedures rather than confrontation.
Matawalle, who was governor of Zamfara State, said that if any land has been revoked, there are established procedures to be followed diplomatically
