THE Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, has assured that the Ministry of Defence and the military’s leadership would protect every soldier carrying out lawful duties.
He stated on Wednesday, November 12, amid controversy surrounding Tuesday’s confrontation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and naval officers in Abuja.
Badaru was reported to have given the assurance while addressing journalists during a ministerial press conference on the Armed Forces Remembrance Celebration and Remembrance Day 2026 at the National Defence College, Abuja.
Responding to questions on the Wike-Naval officers’ rift, the minister said the military would not abandon any officer performing legitimate assignments.
“Well, at the Ministry, and indeed the Armed Forces, we will always protect our officers on lawful duty.
“So, we are looking into this issue, and we assure that any officer on lawful duty will be protected highly. We will not allow anything to happen to him so far he is doing his job, and he’s doing his job greatly well?” he was quoted to have said.
The ICIR reported that Wike was involved in a heated confrontation with the Naval officers, particularly their leader, identified as A.M. Yerima, a lieutenant, over an alleged land-grabbing incident at the Gaduwa District of Abuja.
A video of the confrontation captured Wike angrily accusing the officer of unlawfully seizing a parcel of land and questioning why the military was claiming ownership of the property merely because it was linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff.
The reactions generated mixed reactions among Nigerians, including former Chief of Army Staff Tukur Buratai, who condemned Wike’s actions, describing them as a “palpable threat to national security and institutional integrity.”
Burutai also demanded that the minister tender an “immediate and unequivocal apology” to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Armed Forces, and the officer involved.
“His public disparagement of a uniformed officer of the Nigerian Armed Forces transcends mere misconduct; it represents a palpable threat to national security and institutional integrity,” the former chief of army staff said.
He criticised the minister’s verbal attack on a uniformed officer as “an act of profound indiscipline that undermines the chain of command and erodes morale across the armed forces.”
Similarly, former Minister of Aviation and ex-Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Osita Chidoka, faulted Wike’s decision to personally enforce directives at the disputed site, describing it as “a fundamental misstep.”
““In a democracy, ministers act through process, not presence. A formal communication to the Minister of Defence, whose office oversees the Armed Forces, would have sufficed. If the officers were on illegal duty, the established disciplinary systems would have addressed it,” Chidoka said.
However, human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi offered a nuanced view, questioning the legality of the Naval officer’s presence at the disputed site.
“Have you wondered if the order Yerima is obeying is legal? If Yerima, Wike, and the officer who gave the order are subject to the rule of law, would the officer be able to order a Naval officer to secure a disputed plot of land? What is the role of the courts? I detest Wike’s methods, but my loyalty is to the law and the truth,” he wrote on his X handle.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M