Buratai condemns Wike’s clash with Navy officer, demands public apology

Former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai (retd.), has strongly criticised the altercation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and a Navy Lieutenant, A.M. Yerima, describing the minister’s conduct as a threat to national security.

The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, November 11, at a property in the Gaduwa area of Abuja, involved a heated exchange after Wike and his team were denied access to the site by military personnel led by Yerima. The confrontation reportedly escalated, with the minister making harsh remarks toward the naval officer.

Reacting via his Facebook page, Buratai, who also served as Nigeria’s ambassador to Benin Republic, said Wike’s public outburst against a uniformed officer “transcends mere misconduct” and “undermines the integrity of the Armed Forces and the authority of the Commander-in-Chief, President Bola Tinubu.”

He said the minister’s actions “strike at the heart of the military’s command structure and damage the morale of personnel serving under the Nigerian flag.”

Buratai demanded that Wike tender an “immediate and unequivocal public apology” to President Tinubu, the Armed Forces, and the affected officer.

“It is a reckless endangerment of national order,” he stated. “Our nation’s security must come first. It is time for decisive action, not politics of military bashing. The integrity of our Armed Forces demands nothing less.”