By Charles Pemu 
ABUJA—The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has firmly defended the actions of Lieutenant A.M. Yaremi, the naval officer who stood up to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, during a confrontation over a disputed land in Abuja.
Speaking on Wednesday at a ministerial press conference on the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Celebration, Minister Badaru assured the public that the Ministry of Defence and the Military High Command will protect every soldier and officer performing a lawful duty.
Badaru stated that the military is currently looking into the incident, but emphasized his commitment to supporting personnel following orders.
“We will always protect officers and our armed forces personnel on Lawful Duty,” Badaru said.
He added, “So we are looking into this issue, and we assure that any officer on lawful duty will be protected highly, so we will not allow anything to happen to him so far he is doing his job, and he’s doing his job greatly well”.
The Minister’s remarks serve as a direct reassurance to Lieutenant Yaremi, who was caught in a heated exchange with Minister Wike on Tuesday while guarding a parcel of land allegedly belonging to former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo (retd.).
Minister Badaru’s protective stance contrasts with the earlier strong warning issued by the former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (rtd.).
Buratai had publicly criticized Wike’s conduct, describing the minister’s verbal assault as a “reckless act that undermines the authority of the Commander-in-Chief and the integrity of the Armed Forces,” which he said constituted a “clear and present danger to national security”. Buratai called on Wike to issue an immediate public apology.