Ex-Army Chiefs Slam Wike’s Row with Naval Guard as Government Launches Inquiry

Nigeria’s defence chief has kicked off a full check into a heated clash between the capital city’s top official and a navy man over a claimed grab of public land in Abuja.

The bust-up happened on Monday in the Mabushi area, where Minister Nyesom Wike faced off with Officer A. Yerima. The spot, handed out in 2007 to a firm for green space and play areas, got split up and sold off later. One buyer was a retired top navy boss, who sent the officer to watch over the site.

Wike charged in, saying the land stays for public and business builds, not homes, and lacks the right plans to start work. Video of the shouting match shows Wike calling the officer names and warning him to back off. Yerima stood his ground, saying he followed orders from above.

Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru spoke out on Thursday, vowing to shield any guard on fair duty. He praised the officer’s cool head and said the armed forces back those doing their jobs right. “We will not let harm come to him as long as he sticks to the rules, and he did just that,” Badaru said.

Wike’s team backed him up, noting a bid two years back to switch the land’s use got turned down. They claimed the retired navy head fell for a scam but picked muscle over court fights.

Legal minds split on the rights and wrongs. One top lawyer said the officer broke rules by standing watch over a private build, pointing to high court rulings that say troops need not follow bad commands. Another backed Wike’s power over city land as the president’s stand-in but frowned on the face-to-face row, saying it skips proper steps. A rights watcher added that no minister can boss troops around—the chain runs straight to the top.

Retired army bigwigs hit out hard. A past army head called for Wike to say sorry to the president, the forces, and the officer, warning it hurts safety and order. “This open slight is a real danger to how we run things and respect the top boss,” he said. Another ex-general said rows like this test the whole military setup and should not happen. A third urged Wike to use letters to the defence boss, not street fights.

The defence team’s probe aims to clear if the officer’s moves were by the book. No word yet on when it wraps up, but bosses stress keeping fair play and honour in check.