Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has dismissed any justification for disciplining Lieutenant A. Yerima, the naval officer involved in Tuesday’s confrontation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. He recently described the encounter as unnecessary and avoidable, and Nigerians have been reacting.
Speaking during an interview with DCL Hausa, Matawalle said that the incident should have been handled through formal communication instead of a public altercation.
According to him, the naval officer cannot be sanctioned for conducting himself professionally, acting strictly under orders and maintaining composure throughout the encounter.
He stated that rather than exchanging words with Yerima, Wike should have spoken to the officer’s 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 said.
Matawalle further emphasized that the officer’s actions did not breach any military code of conduct.
He concluded by warning public officials against undermining the authority of the armed forces, stressing that disrespecting men in uniform indirectly questions the authority of the Commander-in-Chief.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If the land has been revoked, there are established procedures to be followed diplomatically.
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,” he added.
