Minister of Defence, Mohammad Badaru Abubakar, has said that no officer or soldier on lawful duty will be punished over the altercation that occurred between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barrister Nyesom Wike, and a naval officer, Lieutenant A.M. Yerima, in Abuja on Tuesday, November 11.
Abubakar stated this on Wednesday, November 12, during a ministerial briefing to flag off activities marking the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebration at the National Defence College, Abuja.
“We, at the Ministry and indeed the Armed Forces, will always protect our officers on lawful duty. We are looking into this issue, and we assure that any officer performing lawful duty will be protected. We will not allow anything to happen to him so far as he is doing his job — and doing it well,” he said.
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Recall that Wike and Lt. Yerima were involved in a confrontation over a disputed parcel of land in Abuja. The land is reportedly linked to former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo (rtd).
The incident occurred when the naval officer allegedly prevented Wike and his entourage from gaining access to the property. Wike reportedly insisted that the land was wrongfully acquired and ordered that ongoing construction work be stopped. However, Lt. Yerima maintained that he was acting on superior orders and barred the minister from entering the site.
The disagreement escalated into a heated exchange, with Wike allegedly hurling insults at the officer, who remained defiant.
Meanwhile, a coalition of retired military veterans has vowed to mobilize and occupy the FCT Ministry if Lt. Yerima — whom they said was acting on lawful orders — faces any form of punishment.
