Bello Matawalle, minister of state for defence and former governor of Zamfara, says the military officer involved in a tense confrontation with Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), in a viral video over a disputed parcel of land in Abuja, will not face any sanctions.
Matawalle gave the assurance in an interview with DCL Hausa,
amid public speculation that the officer could be punished over the
confrontation.
On Tuesday, a video surfaced online showing Wike in a heated
exchange with a military officer at a site in Abuja.
In the clip, the FCT minister was seen attempting to
intervene in an escalating dispute, separating his security detail from the
soldiers at the scene.
Wike was heard demanding to see the approval granted to the
landowner, insisting the development must have official authorisation.
Responding, one of the soldiers said the land documents were
in order and that they were only ensuring due process was followed.
“On the contrary, sir, we are not intimidating anybody. The
papers are complete, and he said he has submitted them,” the soldier said.
‘NOTHING WILL HAPPEN TO THE MILITARY MAN’
Reacting to the development, Matawalle said the officer did
nothing wrong and had acted within the limits of the law.
“What happened with the minister is not good. The FCT
minister (Wike) was not supposed to approach the young officer like that,” he
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 was trained to
follow due process. He acted respectfully and deserves appreciation for that.
“In military law, there is no punishment for that because he
did the right thing by following due process and the law.
“If you notice, he spoke with respect, so there should be no
punishment.
“When the minister met him, he should not have exchanged
words with him, even just because of his uniform.
“Whoever wrongs a military officer, it’s as if they wronged
the president, who is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
“Nothing will happen to that military man. It’s not about
defending the military; as I said, we are following the law and order. The
minister (Wike) knows that the officer has superiors.”
The former Zamfara governor noted that before addressing the
issue, he confirmed with the chief of defence staff that an investigation was
already underway.
“He made an inquiry before going there. The chief of defence
staff told him to wait for investigation, but he refused and approached the
soldiers directly,” Matawalle said.
“As a leader, he should have waited. Even the navy said they
will conduct their own investigation.”
The minister said he has not received any official complaint
from Wike regarding the incident, but had personally reached out to him 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,” Matawalle added.
On Wednesday, Mohammed Badaru, minister of defence, said the
federal government and military leadership will safeguard all soldiers engaged
in lawful duties.
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