A former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai (retired), has strongly criticized the Tuesday, November 11, confrontation between Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike and Navy Lieutenant AM Yerima in Abuja.
Buratai, who previously held the position of ambassador, stated that immediate intervention is necessary concerning the minister’s behaviour, which he characterized as endangering national security.
The incident occurred when Wike and Yerima clashed verbally over a property in the Gaduwa district of Abuja, where military personnel under the Navy Lieutenant’s command were providing security.
During the encounter, Wike and his entourage were barred from entering the premises by the military detail, resulting in an intense exchange between the minister and Yerima, during which Wike allegedly made offensive remarks.
In response to the situation, Buratai issued a statement on his Facebook page Tuesday, asserting that Wike’s public humiliation of a uniformed member of the Nigerian Armed Forces goes beyond simple impropriety and constitutes a clear danger to national security and institutional credibility.
The former military leader argued that such verbal aggression against a uniformed officer demonstrates a breakdown in discipline that undermines Nigeria’s command structure and shows disrespect toward the Commander-in-Chief’s authority, referring to President Bola Tinubu.
Emphasizing that the minister’s actions damage the morale of all personnel serving under the Nigerian flag, Buratai declared that Wike’s verbal attack on Yerima cannot be written off as mere political posturing.
He insisted that the minister must immediately issue a comprehensive apology to the President as Commander-in-Chief, the Nigerian Military, and the Navy officer involved.
In Buratai’s words, “It is a reckless endangerment of national order. This action by Wike is clearly an indication of undermining the federal government’s authority.
“Consequently, Barrister Nyesom Wike must tender an immediate and unequivocal public apology to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Commander-in-Chief, the entire Armed Forces of Nigeria, and the specific officer whose honour was violated.
“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,” Buratai stated.
