Video: Defense Minister defends naval officer in land dispute standoff with Wike
Abdullateef Fowewe
A tense confrontation unfolded between Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike and Lieutenant A.M. Yerima, a naval officer guarding a disputed property allegedly owned by former Naval Chief Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo on Tuesday in Abuja.
Video: Defense Minister defends naval officer in land dispute standoff with Wike
Wike challenged the military’s blockade, accusing the officer of intimidation.
In a viral video, Wike declared, “I’m a minister — you can’t tell me you have a document! We can’t continue to live in a country where everyone hides behind immunity. Where’s your approval? We can’t go on like this.”
The naval officer responded calmly, denying any intimidation: “On the contrary, sir, we are not intimidating anyone. It was the engineer who mobilised workers to the site, along with FCTDA staff, who came to threaten them in defiance of an order.”
Following the incident, Defense Minister Mohammed Badaru on Wednesday defended Lieutenant Yerima’s actions, emphasising protection for lawful officers.
“We assure that any officer on lawful duty will be protected highly. So we will not allow anything to happen to him so far he is doing his job, and he is doing his job greatly well,” Badaru stated.
