In a moment that has captured national attention, prominent human rights advocates have rallied behind Lieutenant A.M. Yerima, a young Nigerian Navy officer whose calm defiance during a heated confrontation with Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has sparked widespread debate about power, discipline, and respect for national institutions.
The clash unfolded on Tuesday at a disputed property in Gaduwa District, Abuja, where Wike arrived with officials and security aides to enforce a stop-work order on Plot 1946—land said to belong to retired Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo, former Chief of Naval Staff. Yerima, leading a team of naval personnel, stood firm in preventing access to the site, insisting they were acting on lawful directives pending resolution of ownership and revocation issues under the Land Use Act.
Tensions escalated as Wike, visibly agitated, demanded entry and challenged the officers to produce legal backing for their presence. The confrontation, captured on video and viewed millions of times online, showed Yerima responding with steady composure. His respectful insistence “Sir, we are here on lawful duty contrasted sharply with the minister’s repeated provocations.
The encounter, emblematic of Nigeria’s enduring struggles between political authority and institutional autonomy, has since ignited a firestorm. Human rights groups and commentators have condemned Wike’s behavior as demeaning to uniformed service members. Among them is Ahmed Isah, the outspoken host of the Brekete Family program, who praised Yerima on live radio as “a symbol of national pride” and demanded a public apology from the minister.
Isah warned that continued disregard for professional institutions undermines national cohesion and called on President Bola Tinubu to step in if necessary. “Lieutenant Yerima made the military proud and Nigerians proud,” he declared.
What began as a routine enforcement mission has now evolved into a defining moment for civil-military relations one that has forced the country to reckon with questions of power, respect, and the boundaries of authority in public service.
