Wike Versus Naval Officer: We’ll Protect Officers On Lawful Duty – Defence Minister

The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, has said that the Ministry of Defence and indeed the Military high command will protect every officer on “lawful duty”.

Badaru stated that the Armed Forces would not punish the Navy Lt AM Yerima or any officer on lawful duty.

The Minister gave the assurance while fielding questions from journalists during a ministerial press conference on the Armed Forces Remembrance Day and Remembrance Day, 2026, at the National Defence College, Abuja, on Wednesday.

The question came against the backdrop of Tuesday’s altercation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and a Navy Lieutenant AM Yerima, over the development of a land in Abuja, which belongs to a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Zubairu Gambo.

Badaru said: “ Well, at the Ministry, and indeed the Armed Forces, we will always protect our officers on lawful duty.

“So we are looking into this issue, and we assure that any officer on lawful duty will be highly protected, so we will not allow anything to happen to him as long as he is doing his job, and he’s doing his job very well.”

Badaru said the government was also strengthening support for veterans through digital innovation, including the establishment of a “Veterans’ Databank and Call Centre.

He explained that the initiative, which will be formally launched as part of the AFCRD 2026 activities, will provide a central platform for efficient service delivery, improved response time to grievances and highly targeted welfare support.

He also revealed plans to review the Nigerian Legion Act, seeking to rename it the Veterans Federation of Nigeria (VFN).

He said the reform would strengthen the legal framework for veterans’ benefits and reintegration programmes.

He added that the Ministry, in demonstration of fairness and national reconciliation, had successfully enrolled 2,141 Civil War veterans who fought on the Nigerian side but retired before meeting the stipulated pension qualifying years, ensuring all sacrifices are duly recognised.

On both troops and veterans’ welfare, he said the Defence Health Maintenance Limited (DHML) now serves over 400,000 enrollees, including more than 205,000 veterans and their families, guaranteeing comprehensive primary, secondary and tertiary care across every state.

Speaking on achievements, Badaru said troops within the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu neutralised over 13,000 terrorists and criminals, arrested more than 17,000, rescued nearly 10,000 hostages and destroyed 1,900 illegal refining sites.

He said over 100,000 Boko Haram and ISWAP combatants and their families have also surrendered.

According to him, the successful operations led to the dismantling of key terrorist enclaves, the neutralisation of notorious bandit commanders and the restoration of peace to hundreds of communities, allowing displaced persons to return home.