Friday, November 14, 2025 - The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, says the faceoff between the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, and a Naval officer, LT A.M Yerima, over a parcel of land in the FCT was unnecessary and avoidable.
In an interview with DCL Hausa, Matawalle revealed 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 investigate the matter,
however, he refused listen to them and instead chose to go to the land to
confront the officers who were acting on the order from their superiors.
“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.
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.
Matawalle who is a former Governor of Zamfara state said the
officer did not violate any military rule and conducted himself properly.
“He 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,” Matawalle added.
The minister further cautioned public officials against
disrespecting uniformed personnel, stressing that doing so undermines the
authority of the President, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
“There is,
therefore, no offence 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 clarified that his comments were not an
endorsement of military indiscipline but a reminder of the importance 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.
The Defence Minister added that the Chief of Naval Staff had
also assured Wike that an inquiry would be conducted, yet the FCT Minister
still went to the location.
“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 further stated that Wike also contacted the Chief
of Naval Staff, who assured him that an investigation would be conducted. Yet
again, he did not wait.
Matawalle confirmed that the Chief of Naval Staff has since
visited the disputed site to begin a formal investigation into the ownership of
the land.
“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 stressed that if any revocation of the land was
necessary, it should have been done through proper administrative and
diplomatic procedures rather than confrontation.
“If the land
has been revoked, there are established procedures to be followed
diplomatically,” Matawalle stated.
The minister added that the Ministry of Defence is yet to
receive a formal complaint from Wike over the incident but that he has
personally reached out to the FCT Minister after the video went viral.
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