- Veterans demand apology, but APC’s Igbokwe defends minister, blasts naval officer
By Obinna Uballa
The confrontation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and a naval officer during an enforcement visit to a disputed land in Abuja has continued to provoke strong reactions from Nigerians, with many condemning the minister’s conduct while a few others defend him.
A viral video of the incident, which occurred at the Gaduwa District, showed Wike engaging in a heated argument with a naval officer said to be representing a former Chief of Naval Staff. The minister accused the officer of protecting an illegal land acquisition, while the officer maintained that the property was duly acquired. The exchange escalated when Wike called the officer a “fool,” drawing widespread public criticism.
Among the harshest critics of the minister is Professor Farooq Kperogi, a United States-based journalist and columnist, who described Wike in an opinion article punished on Wednesday as “a vicious, power-drunk pocket tyrant” known for using “intimidation and primitive vituperation” to get his way.
In the opinion piece titled Three Quick Thoughts on Wike and Yerima, Kperogi praised the young naval officer, Lt. A.M. Yerima, for his composure and defiance, saying he “made it clear to Wike that he is not a fool who yields to inebriated, power-drunk bullies.”
Kperogi argued that Yerima’s repeated insistence that he was “not a fool” was a symbolic act of resistance to the minister’s authoritarian tendencies. He accused Wike of displaying “gerontocratic arrogance” and “reverse ageism” by attempting to demean Yerima because of his youth. “Who cares if Wike is older than Methuselah, especially because he behaves like a rambunctious toddler uneasily stuck in an adult’s body?” he wrote.
Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai (retd.), also condemned Wike’s behaviour, describing it as “a clear and present danger to national security.” In a statement posted on his verified Facebook page, Buratai said Wike’s public insult of a uniformed officer “transcends mere misconduct” and “undermines the authority of the Commander-in-Chief and the integrity of the Armed Forces.”
According to him, the minister’s action erodes military discipline and could demoralise officers. “It represents a palpable threat to national security and institutional integrity,” Buratai warned, calling for Wike to issue “an immediate and unequivocal public apology” to President Bola Tinubu, the Armed Forces, and the officer involved.
Echoing similar sentiments, the Coalition of Retired Veterans demanded an apology from the minister, warning that any attempt to sanction the officer would be resisted. In a statement signed by its spokesman, Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, the group said Wike’s action was “demeaning to the dignity of public office.”
“How can a public officer call an officer ‘a fool’ on camera?” the group asked. “A responsible leader should have engaged the Chief of Naval Staff privately rather than attempt to disgrace a serving or retired senior officer.”
However, not everyone condemned Wike. All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Joe Igbokwe, came to his defence, describing the naval officer’s behaviour as “horrible” and “representing evil.”
In a lengthy social media post, Igbokwe accused unnamed powerful individuals of using the officer to undermine the FCT minister’s reform efforts. “What this small boy displayed today has a million meanings. Who sent him on this horrible mission? Those lands were stolen,” he said, adding that the officer “represents evil” and should be removed from the military.
Igbokwe argued that Wike’s tenure had exposed deep-seated corruption in land allocation in Abuja and that many elites opposed his efforts to restore order. “For more than 30 years, the FCT minister was always from the North. In 2023, Wike became minister and hell was let loose,” he said.
Despite the controversy, the Nigerian Navy has maintained silence. When contacted, Navy spokesman A. Adams-Aliyu simply said, “No reply for now.”
For his part, Wike has defended his actions, insisting that the disputed land belongs to the government and that he would not bow to intimidation. “I don’t understand how someone who held that position cannot approach my office to resolve an issue but instead feels entitled to use his uniform to intimidate Nigerians,” he said. “I will not succumb to blackmail or intimidation.”
Wike, who has been on a campaign to reclaim illegally acquired lands and restore the Abuja Master Plan, said he had already reached out to the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Naval Staff, who promised to look into the matter.
“I will not allow illegal development because someone was a former Chief of Naval Staff,” he said. “We are not here to cause chaos, but the rule of law must prevail.”
