Defence Minister reacts to Wike incident, says no soldier will be harassed for doing their job

Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, has assured that the federal government and military authorities will continue to protect all soldiers carrying out lawful assignments across the country.

Badaru gave the assurance on Wednesday in Abuja during a ministerial media briefing ahead of the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day.

His remarks follow Tuesday’s incident in Abuja involving Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and some military personnel who were reportedly acting under instructions from a former Chief of Naval Staff. The clash, which occurred over access to a disputed land, has sparked nationwide conversation on civil-military relations and respect for institutional authority.

“Well, at the ministry, and indeed in the armed forces, we will always protect our officers on lawful duty,” NAN quoted Badaru as saying.

“So, we are looking into this issue, and we assure you that any officer on lawful duty will be highly protected.

“We will not allow anything to happen to him as long as he is doing his job, and he is doing his job very well.”

On Tuesday, videos surfaced online showing Wike in a heated argument with a military official at a site

In the footage, Wike is seen stepping in to defuse the situation, separating his security detail from the soldiers as tempers flared.

Speaking with the officers, the minister demanded to see the approval granted to the “owners” of the land.

A soldier, who appeared to be the leader of the group, said the officers were not intimidating anyone, adding that the owner of the land had all the necessary documents.

“On the contrary, sir, we are not intimidating anybody. The papers are complete, and he said he has submitted them.”

The incident has since sparked widespread reactions online, with many Nigerians questioning the role of the military in the standoff and calling for clarity on the ownership and status of the contested land.