BREAKING: Defence Minister Speaks on Threat and Protecting Naval Officer Who Confronted Wike

• Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, has declared that the military will protect Lieutenant Ahmad Yerima, the naval officer who confronted FCT Minister Nyesom Wike during a heated encounter over a disputed parcel of land in Abuja, provided the officer was carrying out lawful duties.

The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, has assured that the Federal Government will defend Lieutenant Ahmad Yerima, the naval officer who clashed with Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike over access to a disputed plot of land in Abuja’s Gaduwa District — if his actions were within the bounds of the law.

Speaking at a ministerial press briefing on the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Celebration held Wednesday at the National Defence College, Abuja, Badaru reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to safeguarding all military personnel performing legitimate duties.

“At the Ministry, and indeed across the Armed Forces, we will always protect our officers on lawful duty.

We are looking into this issue and assure that any officer on lawful duty will be protected highly,”
Badaru told journalists.

“We will not allow anything to happen to him, so long as he is doing his job — and he’s doing it well.”

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The incident, which went viral on social media, captured a heated exchange between Wike and Lieutenant Yerima, who refused to grant the minister access to the disputed property reportedly linked to former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo (rtd).

Despite Wike’s harsh words — including calling the officer a “fool” — Yerima maintained composure, replying:

“I am not a fool, sir. I am acting on instructions, and I am a commissioned officer.”

Wike, visibly angered, demanded documents authorizing the naval team’s presence, insisting that “no one is above the law.”

“Show me the document you have. You have no document,” Wike said.

In response, Yerima calmly replied that he and his team were acting on orders from superiors.

According to Lere Olayinka, an aide to the FCT Minister, the land in question was controversially acquired by former Naval Chief Vice Admiral Zubairu Gambo (rtd) — a claim suggesting the naval authorities might have dispatched the officer to secure the site.

As of press time, neither the Nigerian Navy nor the Defence Headquarters had issued an official statement regarding Yerima’s actions.

Meanwhile, former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd), has weighed in, describing Wike’s behavior as a “threat to national security” and urging him to apologize to the military for his public confrontation with a uniformed officer.

“Such acts of indiscipline erode the foundation of our national security structure,” Buratai warned in a statement shared with journalists.