By Abiola Olawale
Former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and a former Ambassador to the Republic of Benin, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai (rtd.) has issued a stern condemnation of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barrister Nyesom Wike, following a verbal altercation with a uniformed military officer, identified as Lieutenant A.M. Yerima, in Abuja on November 11, 2025.
In a strongly worded statement released on Tuesday, Buratai labelled the incident as an act of “profound indiscipline” that constitutes a “palpable threat to national security and institutional integrity.”
The confrontation, which occurred at a disputed property site in Abuja’s Gaduwa District, involved the FCT Minister and a Naval officer protecting the property.
Viral video clips of the incident showed Wike expressing outrage at the officer’s presence and questioning the military’s authority on the land.
Buratai, who led the Nigerian Army from 2015 to 2021, argued that the minister’s exchange with the officer in uniform is a direct attack on the nation’s command structure.
He said: “The events of November 11, 2025, involving the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barrister Nyesom Wike, demand an immediate and serious response. 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.
“A minister’s verbal assault on a military officer in uniform is an act of profound indiscipline that strikes at the core of our nation’s command and control structure. It deliberately undermines the chain of command, disrespects the authority of the Commander-in-Chief, and grievously wounds the morale of every individual who serves under the Nigerian flag. Such actions erode the very foundation of discipline upon which our national security apparatus stands.
“This cannot be dismissed as political theatre. It is a reckless endangerment of national order. This action by Wike is clearly an indication of undermining the federal government’s authority.
“Consequently, Barrister Nyesom Wike must tender an immediate and unequivocal public apology to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Commander-in-Chief, the entire Armed Forces of Nigeria, and the specific officer whose honour was violated.
“Our nation’s security must come first. It is time for decisive action, not politics of military bashing. The integrity of our Armed Forces demands nothing less.”
