Defence minister Bello Matawalle has criticised former Governor Nyesom Wike over a standoff involving a naval officer, Lieutenant Ahmed Yerima.
The standoff, which occurred on Tuesday, arose over the ownership of a parcel of land in Gaduwa District, Abuja, guarded by armed naval officers led by Mr Yerima, who was carrying out orders from a former naval chief, Zubairu Gambo.
In an interview with DCL Hausa on Wednesday, Mr Matwalle stated that the matter ought to have been resolved administratively, rather than Mr Wike, the FCT minister, resorting to a public showdown.
Deeming the altercation as unnecessary and avoidable, the defence minister disclosed that Mr Wike had contacted the chief of defence staff and the chief of naval staff, who suggested a military investigation before further action would be taken.
Mr Matawalle stated, “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.”
Sharing his view about the officer’s conduct, the minister noted that Mr Yerima demonstrated proper military conduct, stressing how he spoke respectfully during the encounter.
“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,” Mr Matawalle explained.
“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,” he said.
Mr Matawalle reiterated that the naval officer committed “no offence under military law for which he should be charged”.
He said, “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.”
The minister explained that Mr Wike failed to exercise patience, as the officer would only have obeyed instructions from his superiors.
“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,” Mr Matawalle added.
“As a leader, he ought to have exercised patience and waited for the outcome of the investigation. Wike also contacted the chief of naval staff, who assured him that an investigation would be conducted. Again, he did not wait. It was supposed to be a one-day inquiry, but he chose to go there and confront them.”
The minister gave an assurance that the matter involving an alleged land dispute will be investigated to determine who holds and owns the lawful documents to 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,” Mr Matawalle explained. “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.”
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