The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, has stated that the military will defend Lieutenant Ahmad Yerima, the naval officer who confronted the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, provided the officer was acting on lawful orders.
The minister’s comments come in the wake of a public altercation between the lieutenant and the FCT minister over access to a disputed parcel of land in Abuja.
Minister Badaru made the declaration on Wednesday, 12th November, 2025, while addressing journalists at a ministerial press briefing during the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Celebration at the National Defence College.
“Well, at the ministry, and indeed the Armed Forces, we will always protect our officers on lawful duty,” Badaru was quoted as saying by the News Agency of Nigeria. “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.”
The incident, earlier reported by PulseinNews, saw Lieutenant Yerima repeatedly refuse to comply with Mr. Wike’s directives to grant him and other FCT officials access to the land. The officer maintained his composure even as the FCT minister used foul language, calling him a “fool.”
“I am not a fool, sir. I am acting on instructions, and I am a commissioned officer,” Mr. Yerima countered firmly and repeatedly.
Mr. Wike demanded documentation to justify the military’s presence on the land, insisting that “no one, regardless of rank, is above the law.” He challenged the officer, stating, “Show me the document you have. You have no documents.” In response, Lieutenant Yerima reiterated that he and his team were acting on “orders.”
Meanwhile, Lere Olayinka, an aide to Minister Wike, during a TV program, would later claimed that the land was controversially acquired by a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Zubairu Gambo (retired), suggesting that either the retired admiral or naval authorities had deployed Lieutenant Yerima.
The Defence Minister’s pledge of support for the officer has drawn a significant reaction. Retired General Tukur Buratai, a former Chief of Army Staff, characterized Mr. Wike’s actions as a “threat to national security” and called for the minister to apologize to the military.
As of the time of reporting, neither the Nigerian Navy nor the Defence Headquarters has issued an official statement on the incident. Minister Badaru, a civilian, heads the ministry that supervises the administrative components of the military but does not control operational duties.