A former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (retd.), has cautioned that the recent altercation between the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and a Nigerian Navy officer in Abuja poses “a clear and present danger to national security” and requires immediate corrective action
In a statement on his verified Facebook page on Tuesday, Buratai said the minister’s actions during the incident “go beyond mere misconduct” and “undermine the authority of the Commander-in-Chief as well as the integrity of the Armed Forces.”
Buratai criticised the minister’s tone and public rebuke of a uniformed officer, describing it as “a reckless act that strikes at the heart of Nigeria’s command and control structure.”
He said, “A minister’s verbal assault on a military officer in uniform is a profound act of indiscipline that attacks the very foundation of our national security. This is not political theatre, it is a reckless endangerment of national order.”
Buratai added, “Wike’s actions clearly undermine the authority of the Federal Government, show disrespect to the Commander-in-Chief, and damage the morale of every officer serving under the Nigerian flag.”
Buratai, who led the Nigerian Army as Chief of Army Staff from 2015 to 2021, called on President Bola Tinubu to address the incident as a serious national
stated, “Barrister Nyesom Wike must issue an immediate and unequivocal public apology to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Commander-in-Chief, to the Armed Forces of Nigeria, and to the officer whose honour was compromised.”
Reacting to Buratai’s criticism on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, Wike’s aide, Lere Olayinka, said the former Army Chief is mistaken in claiming that the Minister’s actions pose a security threat
Olayinka argued that Buratai should be more concerned about naval officers being reassigned from frontline duties to serve as private security guards.
He said, “A former Chief of Army Staff is focused on a minister speaking to a uniformed officer, but ignores the real issue: naval officers who should be at the war front—confronting terrorists in the Chad Basin—are being converted into private guards for uncompleted buildings.
“Which of these truly poses a threat to Nigeria: trained soldiers defending the nation, or them being reassigned as security guards?”
It was reported that things got heated between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, his entourage, and some soldiers on Tuesday over a land in the Gaduwa district of the area.
“This is unprofessional. You cannot be threatening a minister like this,” one of the officials accompanying Wike told the soldiers as the minister and his team tried to gain access to the land.
The minister, unhappy over the development, questioned the actions of the military officers, saying no one is above the laws of the land.
Wike questioned the development of the land, alleging that due process was not followed.
“You have no document,” the FCT minister said during the impasse on Tuesday, but the soldiers did not budge, saying that they were following instructions.
“We cannot continue to act in impunity. We cannot continue this way. This country cannot go along this line.
“You cannot be higher than any government. You cannot be carrying a gun to intimidate anybody. I am not one of those that they can intimidate”, he said.
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