A coalition of retired military officers on Friday condemned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over his confrontation with a young naval officer, describing the minister’s conduct as “demeaning,” “unacceptable,” and “a direct insult to the Armed Forces and the Commander-in-Chief.”
Bellnews reports that the group, comprising retired generals and senior officers from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, addressed journalists in Kaduna, calling on President Bola Tinubu to “immediately sack or redeploy” the minister over his outburst.
Delivering the coalition’s address, a member of its Board of Trustees, Col. Yusuf Ibrahim (retd.), said the confrontation, captured in a viral video, was embarrassing, especially Wike’s remark describing the officer as a fool.
“We are taken aback that a public office holder could call an officer ‘a fool’ on camera,” Ibrahim said.
He criticised Wike for publicly confronting the officer instead of engaging the Chief of Naval Staff over the disputed land.
“If Wike was responsible, shouldn’t he have engaged the Chief of Naval Staff privately rather than trying to disgrace a very senior retired general? Who the hell is Wike?” he queried.
Ibrahim insisted that Wike must “apologise to the Nigerian Armed Forces, the young officer involved, and President Tinubu.”
‘This Is A Pattern Of Hostility’ — Coalition Alleges
Supporting Ibrahim’s position, another leader of the group, Dr Awwal Abdullahi, who introduced himself as a Deputy Veteran Commander, accused Wike of consistently showing hostility toward military personnel.
He said the minister’s behaviour had become a growing concern among retired security operatives.
He warned that failure by the President to act would force the veterans into a sustained protest.
“If the President refuses to sack Wike, we will mobilise and occupy the Ministry of FCT until he is removed,” he said.
He stressed that the coalition’s gathering “represents the entire retired military community,” adding that removing the minister “would not harm the administration.”