Defence Minister Vows Officer in Wike Clash Will Be Shielded from Sanctions, Pending Investigation into Lawful Duty

The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, today, Wednesday, November 12, 2025, weighed in on the viral confrontation between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and a Naval officer, assuring the nation that the Ministry and the Armed Forces would not abandon any personnel carrying out lawful duties.

Speaking at a ministerial press briefing in Abuja, Badaru confirmed that the incident, which occurred over a disputed land plot in the Gaduwa District, is currently under internal review. However, he emphasized that the military would defend its own, provided their actions were legitimate.

“Well, at the Ministry, and indeed the Armed Forces, we will always protect our officers on lawful duty,” Badaru declared. “We are looking into this issue, and we assure all that any officer on lawful duty will be highly protected. We will not allow anything to happen to him so long as he is doing his job, and he is doing his job very well.”

The Minister’s statement comes amidst a heated national debate following the heated exchange on Tuesday, where the Naval officer, Lieutenant A.M. Yerima, refused to stand down despite the FCT Minister’s presence, insisting he was acting on orders to protect the site.

Institutional Support Amidst Calls for Sanction

The Defence Minister’s position provides significant institutional backing to the officer, Lieutenant Yerima, who has faced severe public criticism and demands for a court-martial from legal experts and other commentators for allegedly obstructing a public officer from performing his lawful duty of enforcing development control.

The assurance of protection is also seen as a response to warnings issued by a coalition of retired military veterans, who had threatened to occupy the FCT Ministry if the officer was sanctioned, arguing that the Minister’s action and language constituted an insult to the entire military institution.

Badaru’s comment reinforces the Federal Government’s commitment to prioritizing the morale and welfare of its security forces, even as the internal investigation is expected to determine the legality and context of the deployment of armed personnel to a private land dispute, which is the crux of the controversy.