The National Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Ambassador Godknows Boladei Igali, has urged the Federal Government to investigate the public confrontation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and a junior naval officer identified as Lieutenant AM Yerima.
Speaking to journalists at the Port Harcourt International Airport on his way to Lagos, Ambassador Igali described the widespread social media support for the naval officer as "deeply worrying," arguing that the incident was being misrepresented in a manner that undermines established norms of civil–military relations.
According to Igali, Lieutenant Yerima was said to be acting on the instructions of a retired service chief over a property reportedly under investigation by the FCT administration.
He said it was improper for a junior officer to confront a serving minister who, as a member of the Federal Executive Council, represents the authority of the President on matters concerning the capital territory.
"Chief Wike, CON, is without question one of the best-performing ministers in this administration and deserves to be treated with respect and decorum.
"The former federal permanent secretary argued that the officer’s conduct, allegedly carried out under external influence, amounted to an affront not only to Wike but also to the office of the President whose powers the minister exercises," he said.
He criticised what he described as the misuse of junior military personnel for non-military tasks such as guarding private or unoccupied property, insisting that such practices fall outside the military’s constitutional mandate of safeguarding the nation’s territorial integrity.
Igali called on the Nigerian Navy to tender an "unconditional apology" to the FCT Minister on behalf of the retired service chief involved and the "hapless young officer" caught in the controversy.
He argued that allowing such incidents to go unchecked could erode professional standards within the armed forces.
The PANDEF chairman further appealed to President Bola Tinubu to order a full investigation by the relevant security and law enforcement agencies.
According to him, a transparent probe would help reinforce discipline within the military and reaffirm the primacy of civilian authority.
He added that the FCT Minister must be protected from future "overzealousness" as he continues to carry out his duties with "passion and commitment."
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