The Nigerian Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, has thrown his weight behind Lieutenant Yerima, the naval officer who reportedly confronted the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
The altercation was over a parcel of land allegedly belonging to former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo (rtd).
Speaking on the incident, the minister, Badaru praised Yerima’s conduct, describing him as a disciplined officer who acted in line with his duties.
“We will always protect our officer, he has done well. We won’t allow anything happen to him,” the minister stated.
“So we are looking into this issue, and we assure that any officer on lawful duty will be protected highly.
“So we will not allow anything to happen to him so far he is doing his job, and he is doing his job greatly well,” he said, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
The confrontation reportedly occurred when FCT officials attempted to take control of the land on Tuesday in Abuja.
SaharaReporters previously reported that a tense confrontation broke out in Abuja on Tuesday when soldiers stopped the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, and officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) from gaining access to an estate land in the FCT.
In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, the soldiers on guard duty at the disputed site blocked the minister’s convoy, leading to a heated verbal exchange between Wike and one of the officers.
Visibly angry, Wike accused the soldier of obstructing government officials from performing their duties, while the soldier insisted he was acting under lawful orders.
In the video, Wike yelled, “Because you’re an officer, nobody does that (nobody acquires land illegally).”
Soldier: “Sir, we did not carry any land.”
Wike: “The man took this and we will not allow that just because he is the Chief of Army Staff.”
The confrontation escalated when the soldier defended his conduct, stating that all actions taken on the land were legitimate.
Soldier: “Sir, everything was acquired legally. Sir, you get the point.”
Wike: “Will you stop that?”
Soldier: “Sir, I’m an officer, I have integrity.”
Wike: “Shut up!”
Soldier: “Sir, I will not shut up. Sir, I won’t shut up. Sir, you can’t shut me up.”
The visibly enraged minister then called the soldier “a big fool,” but the officer stood his ground.
Wike: “You’re a big fool.”
Soldier: “I’m not a fool, sir. I am acting on an order.”
The soldier’s defiance shocked onlookers as both sides refused to back down, creating a tense standoff that drew attention from nearby residents and FCTA officials.
The altercation is the latest in a series of confrontations linked to land ownership disputes and demolition exercises in the Federal Capital Territory under Wike’s leadership.
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