…as Irabor, Matawalle differ on incident
The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has demanded a national apology to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over his recent confrontation with a naval officer, Lieutenant A.M. Yerima, in Abuja, describing the episode as an affront to civil authority and the office of the President.
In a statement on Thursday, PANDEF’s National Chairman, Ambassador Godknows Igali, condemned the altercation and urged President Bola Tinubu to order a full investigation and sanction those responsible.
“Chief Wike, CON, without doubt, one of the best-performing ministers in this administration, deserves to be treated with respect and decorum,” Igali stated. “The naval officer’s behaviour was not only a personal affront to Wike but a clear show of disrespect for the President’s delegated authority in the FCT.”
He described the act as “a shameful display of insubordination,” allegedly carried out under the direction of a retired service chief. Igali urged the Navy to tender an unreserved apology to Wike and end the misuse of military personnel for private purposes such as guarding empty plots of land.
“The practice of deploying junior officers for private or illegal duties must stop. It undermines the constitutional role of the armed forces, which is to defend the nation’s territorial integrity,” he said.
He also criticised the “social media glorification” of the officer’s conduct, warning that it promotes indiscipline and weakens public respect for civil authority.
Meanwhile, former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor (rtd), cautioned against acts that demean uniformed officers, stressing that the military uniform symbolises the sovereignty of the Nigerian state.
“The uniform represents the power and dignity of the nation,” Irabor said at the All Nigeria Editors’ Conference in Abuja. “Any act of disparagement toward it is an insult to the state itself.”
He, however, called for balance — upholding accountability while maintaining respect for state institutions.
In a related reaction, Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, faulted Wike’s handling of the incident, describing it as “unnecessary and avoidable.”
According to him, the naval officer acted professionally and under lawful orders. “He did not commit any offence under military law,” Matawalle said. “Anyone who disrespects a soldier indirectly disrespects the President, who is the Commander-in-Chief.”
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