Soldier in Wike faceoff acted rightly, says Defence Minister Matawalle

Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has assured that the military officer involved in a viral confrontation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over a disputed parcel of land in Abuja, will not face any disciplinary action.

Speaking in an interview with DCL Hausa, the former Zamfara State governor described the officer’s conduct as lawful and respectful, stressing that the soldier acted according to military procedure.

“What happened with the minister is not good. The FCT minister (Wike) was not supposed to approach the young officer like that,” Matawalle said.

“He is our colleague, even if there is an issue, he should have contacted us first. What the soldier did was correct because he followed due process and acted with respect.”

Matawalle added that the officer’s actions were within the limits of the law, noting that “in military law, there is no punishment for that because he did the right thing.”

He further stated that disrespecting a military officer is akin to disrespecting the president, who serves as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

“Nothing will happen to that military man. It’s not about defending the military; we are following the law and order. The minister (Wike) knows that the officer has superiors,” he said.

The minister revealed that before addressing the issue, he had confirmed with the Chief of Defence Staff that an investigation into the matter was already ongoing. According to him, Wike was advised to wait for the outcome of the inquiry but chose to personally confront the soldiers on-site.

“He made an inquiry before going there. The chief of defence staff told him to wait for an investigation, but he refused and approached the soldiers directly. As a leader, he should have waited,” Matawalle stated.

He also disclosed that he had personally contacted Wike after the video went viral. “I called him yesterday after I saw the video. I told him he should have called me first, and he said he was told. I assured him I would investigate the issue,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, has reaffirmed that the federal government and military leadership will continue to protect soldiers carrying out lawful duties across the country.

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