By Charles Pemu 
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has publicly defended his heated confrontation with naval officer Lieutenant A.M. Yerima, condemning the alleged impunity of the retired naval chief who deployed the officer to guard the disputed land.
Briefing journalists on Thursday, Wike insisted that his action was necessary to protect government officials and was not an attack on the Armed Forces institution.
Wike accused the property owner, former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo (retd.), of misusing his influence by deploying serving military personnel to obstruct lawful enforcement activities by FCT officials. The Minister revealed that his FCT staff were reportedly “attacked and beaten up” at the site.
“How can I sit as a minister when government officials are being attacked and beaten up, officials at the level of directors? And I’ll just sit in my office doing what?” Wike questioned, responding directly to critics who faulted his visit.
He contrasted the former Naval Chief’s actions with those of other influential figures: “Chief Olusegun Obasanjo… will simply call me. He’ll say, ‘Minister, I have a problem on this land, can you help?’ and I’ll solve it. General T.Y. Danjuma will do the same. They never sent soldiers to attack anybody. They just call,” Wike stated.
Wike also expressed disgust at the naval officer’s alleged behavior towards police officers who were present at the scene.
“Nobody talks like that. A security man saying, ‘Bloody police! Who are these bloody police that will talk to you?’ You say you’re a commissioned officer, to God be the glory, but it is these same government officials you’re beating the ones who made you what you are,” he said.
The Minister maintained that his respect for the military institution is absolute, stressing that the confrontation was a private matter concerning the illegal actions of one individual, not the Armed Forces as a whole.
“I have respect for the military, and I’ll continue to respect them. I know what the institution stands for. I’m not a fool; I went to school. So anyone trying to suggest I have problems with them is wrong. I have no problem with the military, and I never will. But this is a private matter,” Wike concluded.