“No provision in military law justifies punishing the officer.”
The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has defended Ahmad Yarima, the naval officer who had an altercation with the Minister Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over a disputed land in Abuja.
Mr Matawalle, who spoke on Thursday in a telephone interview with DCL Hausa, also criticised Mr Wike, saying that he defied the advice of the naval officer’s supervisors.
“There is no law in the military that recommends punishment for the officer,” Mr Matawalle said when asked if Mr Yarima should be subjected to disciplinary action, as being debated in the public.
The defence minister reiterated that Mr Yarima acted on order, “and he did so with humility and respect.”
Mr Matawalle said Mr Wike should have respected the officer’s uniform and the military. Disrespecting the officer, he said, was the same as disrespecting President Bola Tinubu, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Matawalle’s colleague in the defence ministry, Mohammed Badaru, also said Mr Yarima would be protected if he acted on a lawful order.
A former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Burtai, also faulted Mr Wike, advising him to apologise to the military.
Although the Defence Headquarters has not issued any statement regarding the incident, it posted a cryptic message on its X handle a few hours after the incident, suggesting that it was in support of Mr Yarima’s action.
When asked if the support given to Mr Yarima could embolden other officers to imitate him, Mr Matawalle said the military has been lawful.
‘Wike defied military advice’
“The [FCT] Minister knew that the officer was acting on order,” Mr Matawalle said, adding his findings show that Mr Wike defied the advice given to him by the military.
“I made findings and I learned that the Minister called the Chief of Defence Staff, who told him to hold on so he could investigate the matter,” Mr Matawalle said.
He said the Chief of Naval Staff was also contacted, and he also requested to investigate the matter. “But he (Mr Wike) did not wait as advised. He went to the place,” he said.
Mr Matawalle said he called Mr Wike after seeing the video of the incident.
“I called him and told him he should have contacted me before going to engage with the officer,” Mr Matawalle said. “But he said they (officials) only came to tell him, and he went.”
Mr Matawalle said he told the FCT minister that the matter would be investigated.
THE INCIDENT
Tension flared on Tuesday when a dramatic faceoff erupted between Minister Nyesom Wike and naval officer Lt. Yarima after soldiers blocked the minister and his team from entering a disputed plot of land allegedly belonging to former Chief of Naval Staff, Zubairu Gambo.
Wike insisted the land was illegally acquired. Yarima fired back, maintaining it was legitimately owned by his principals — and he wasn’t about to let anyone through without proper orders.
In viral videos, Lt. Yarima is seen standing his ground as he stopped the minister, repeatedly explaining that he was simply obeying directives. But Wike was having none of it. He demanded to see documents proving the military’s authority over the land.
“I am the minister — you can’t say that to me,” Wike snapped, accusing the officers of using their uniforms to shield illegal structures and obstruct government duties. He stressed that no one, no matter their rank, is above the law.
According to Wike, the standoff nearly escalated into violence:
“If not for the Chief of Defence Staff, who just called me, there might have been casualties,” he claimed, suggesting his team was ready for a confrontation.
The exchange boiled over when Wike hurled insults, prompting Lt. Yarima to push back respectfully but firmly:
“I am not a fool, sir. I am acting on instructions, and I am a commissioned officer.”
Wike defends himself
Speaking to reporters ahead of the FCT Executive Council meeting on Thursday, Mr Wike defended himself, faulting the use of soldiers by the former Naval chief to guard the land.
He defended his presence on the disputed land, saying senior officials, including directors, were being “attacked” and “beaten up.”
According to him, assaults on officials could deter them from carrying out their duties when they know that their principal cannot protect them.
The minister said that influential individuals, including ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo and ex-army chief Theophilus Danjuma, both retired generals, who had similar issues, had called him to resolve the issues instead of resorting to the use of soldiers.
The incident has led to intense public discussion, with some Nigerians criticising the minister for his actions and use of words, others criticising Mr Yarima for allegedly disrespecting Mr Wike, who represents President Bola Tinubu in Abuja, and still others criticising the military hierarchy for deploying soldiers over a land dispute.