A former Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, has criticised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for denying that he insulted a Naval officer during a confrontation over a disputed plot of land in Abuja.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, 11 November, when Wike visited a site said to belong to a former Chief of Naval Staff.
He insisted the land was wrongly acquired and ordered that ongoing construction be halted immediately.
Naval Lieutenant A.M. Yerima and his team had been deployed to the site to protect workers, leading to a heated exchange between both men.
Wike’s Recorded Outburst Sparks Criticism
During the faceoff, Wike was heard shouting at Yerima, saying: “Shut up your mouth, who does that? Will you keep quiet? Are you a big fool? You are a big fool.”
The remarks triggered widespread condemnation from several military personnel and members of the public, who accused the Minister of disrespecting the Armed Forces.
Responding at a press conference on Thursday, 14 November, Wike denied insulting the officer.
He claimed his comment was misinterpreted and insisted he would never demean the military.
“Some people said I said the boy ‘you are a fool’. What I meant was this, you cannot be carrying out an illegal order, that is what I meant.
I didn’t say ‘the military, you are a fool’,” Wike said.
He added that he values the sacrifices of security agencies and has supported them since assuming office as FCT Minister.
Wike likened the situation to a university professor misusing his position, saying such individuals do not deserve their titles.
According to him, the Naval officer was simply not expected to act in the manner he did.
Melaye Fires Back At Wike
Reacting to Wike’s denial, Dino Melaye mocked the Minister’s attempt to retract his words.
“With eleven microphones, he attempts a denial of what he said with no microphone. Spirit of error na shege,” Melaye wrote.
