Following Tuesday’s altercation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and a naval officer, Lieutenant A. Yerima, over an alleged land dispute in Abuja, the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has described the incident as unnecessary and avoidable.
Matawalle, who spoke in an interview with DCL Hausa, released on its YouTube channel on Wednesday, said the incident should have been resolved through official channels rather than a public exchange.
He revealed that Wike had earlier contacted both the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Naval Staff, who advised him to allow the military to investigate the matter before taking any action.
Matawalle, however, maintained that Yerima acted strictly on instructions and maintained a professional and disciplined attitude throughout the encounter.
“What happened between Minister Wike and the officer is unfortunate. When he got there, the officer explained that he was simply obeying orders given to him.
“Wike should not have exchanged words with the officer; he ought to have addressed his concerns through the officer’s superiors,” the minister said.
“He (Wike) is our colleague, and Wike could have reached out to us to resolve whatever issue. The officer’s action was lawful because he was trained to be disciplined, loyal, and obedient to orders. Therefore, the young officer only carried out his duty worthy of commendation,” he stated.
According to him, the officer did not violate any military rule and conducted himself properly.
Credit: newtelegraphng.com
