Minister of Defence Mohammed Badaru on Wednesday said the ministry is investigating the confrontation between Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike and a naval officer, Ahmad Yerima, over a disputed piece of land in Abuja.
Speaking at a press briefing to commence activities for the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day at the National Defence College, Abuja, Minister Badaru said the Armed Forces would not abandon any personnel carrying out lawful duties.
He said, “At the ministry, and indeed the Armed Forces, we will always protect our officers on lawful duty. We are looking into this issue, and we assure all that any officer on lawful duty will be protected. We will not allow anything to happen to him so long as he is doing his job, and he is doing his job very well.”
The confrontation occurred on Tuesday when Minister Wike visited the site and alleged that the military had taken over the land illegally.
In a video obtained by QEDNG, Wike questioned the presence of armed personnel on the land said to belong to a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Zubairu Gambo (retd.).
Badaru also used the briefing to unveil new initiatives aimed at improving military operations, veteran welfare and national security.
He announced that the Federal Government had initiated a programme tagged Reclaiming the Ungoverned Space for Economic Benefits Programme (RUSEB-P), which will deploy retired but able military veterans to help secure and rehabilitate areas previously occupied by terrorists.
“By engaging veterans to reinforce local security and initiate projects like farming and mining, RUSEB-P will prevent the resurgence of terrorism, revitalise local economies, and strengthen national security and cohesion,” he said.
The minister also launched the Thank A Soldier QR Code, which allows Nigerians to send appreciation messages to troops.
On ongoing military operations nationwide, Badaru said troops under President Bola Tinubu’s administration had neutralised more than 13,000 terrorists and criminals, arrested over 17,000 suspects, rescued nearly 10,000 hostages and destroyed 1,900 illegal refining sites.
He added that more than 100,000 Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters and their families had surrendered.
Speaking on veterans’ welfare, he said the ministry was setting up a Veterans’ Databank and Call Centre and had enrolled 2,141 Civil War veterans who previously did not qualify for pension benefits.
He also said plans were underway to amend the Nigerian Legion Act and rename it the Veterans Federation of Nigeria (VFN).
According to him, the Defence Health Maintenance Limited now covers more than 400,000 enrollees, including 205,000 veterans and their families.
Mohammed Badaru urged Nigerians to show gratitude to troops and fallen heroes, saying, “We must continue to honour men and women who embody valour, discipline, and unity – the pillars of our democracy and sovereignty.”
