Ex-military Generals have condemned the Tuesday’s clash between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and a naval officer identified as A. Yerima, over alleged land grabbing.
The military veterans, in separate interviews with journalists on Wednesday, stated that such confrontations denigrates the chain of command and institutional respect.
Following the outrage that trailed the incident, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, stated the ministry is probing the issue.
He stressed that the Armed Forces would protect personnel carrying out lawful duties.
While Speaking at a press briefing to commence activities for the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day at the National Defence College, Abuja, the defence minister commended Yerima for his composure during his face-off with the FCT minister.
“At the ministry, and indeed the Armed Forces, we will always protect our officers on lawful duty,’’ he noted. “We are looking into this issue and assure that any officer performing his duties lawfully will be highly protected. We will not allow anything to happen to him so long as he is doing his job, and he is doing it very well.”
The clash between Wike and the officer followed a disagreement over the ownership of a piece of land being guarded by some armed military officers led by Yerima, on the instruction of a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Zubairu Gambo (retd.).
The minister had alleged that the ex-CNS illegally took over the land. A viral video showed the visibly enraged minister confronting the officer.
Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, urged Wike to publicly apologise to President Bola Tinubu, the Armed Forces, and the military officer involved in the clash.
Buratai, who served as Chief of Army Staff between 2015 and 2021, said Wike’s conduct was inappropriate and amounted to disrespect for the military.
Buratai, in a post on his Facebook page on Tuesday night, said, “The events of November 11, 2025, involving the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barrister Nyesom Wike, demand an immediate and serious response.
“His public disparagement of a uniformed officer of the Nigerian Armed Forces transcends mere misconduct; it represents a palpable threat to national security and institutional integrity.
“A minister’s verbal assault on a military officer in uniform is an act of profound indiscipline that strikes at the core of our nation’s command and control structure. It deliberately undermines the chain of command, disrespects the authority of the Commander-in-Chief and grievously wounds the morale of every individual who serves under the Nigerian flag. Such actions erode the very foundation of discipline upon which our national security apparatus stands.”
Also, Brig Gen Peter Aro (retd.) said the clash highlights the importance of respecting proper channels in a democracy.
He stated that, “The clash between Minister Wike and the young naval officer goes beyond personalities: it reflects how power should and should not be exercised in a democracy. The officer, by every account, was acting under lawful orders from his superior, the former Chief of Naval Staff; his duty was to obey the chain of command, not to improvise under political pressure.’’
While taking cognizance of Wike’s right to raise questions about the title of the disputed land, Aro faulted the process adopted by the former Rivers state governor.
“The minister, on the other hand, had every right to raise questions about land or its use, but only through lawful channels such as writing to the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff, or approaching the courts. A public confrontation that diminishes institutional respect exposes the government’s internal disarray before the world.”
He added, “If this episode is not publicly condemned, it sends a dangerous message to the men and women who risk their lives daily for Nigeria’s sovereignty. The military must remain disciplined, but civilian leaders must also model restraint and humility.”
Retired Brigadier General Bashir Adewinbi described the incident as an aberration and highly unacceptable.
“I did not expect a minister to behave like that toward a commissioned officer. The military is not just any organisation; it is under the command of the President, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Any confrontation with a military officer is, by extension, a confrontation with the Commander-in-Chief and should not be tolerated,” he said.
