Former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai (Rtd.), has issued a stern public statement condemning the recent altercation between Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, and a Nigerian Navy officer, describing the minister’s conduct as a “clear threat to national security.”
Buratai’s statement, titled “Urgent Action Required as Minister Wike’s Conduct Poses a Clear Threat to National Security,” directly addressed the events of November 11, 2025, when a viral video captured Wike in a heated confrontation with Lieutenant Ahmed Yerima over an alleged land dispute in Gaduwa District, Abuja.
The retired general said Wike’s public verbal assault on a uniformed member of the Nigerian Armed Forces went beyond a personal outburst, warning that it undermined military authority and eroded discipline within the nation’s security architecture.
“A minister’s verbal assault on a military officer in uniform is an act of profound indiscipline that strikes at the core of our nation’s command and control structure,” Buratai said. “It deliberately undermines the chain of command, disrespects the authority of the Commander-in-Chief, and grievously wounds the morale of every individual who serves under the Nigerian flag.”
He described the confrontation as a reckless act of insubordination that could weaken public confidence in the federal government and embolden future breaches of institutional order. “This cannot be dismissed as political theatre. It is a reckless endangerment of national order,” Buratai stated.
The former army chief called on Wike to tender an immediate and unequivocal public apology to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, as well as to the entire Nigerian military and the officer involved in the incident.
“Our nation’s security must come first. It is time for decisive action, not politics of military bashing,” he added. “The integrity of our Armed Forces demands nothing less.”
Okay News reports that Buratai’s intervention adds significant weight to growing concerns over the November 11 confrontation, which has generated public debate over civil-military relations and the limits of ministerial authority in dealing with uniformed personnel.
As of press time, neither the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) nor Wike’s office had issued an official response to Buratai’s statement. The Nigerian Navy has also yet to release a comment regarding the controversy.
