The Federal Government has broken its silence following Tuesday’s altercation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and a naval officer who refused him access to a disputed property in Abuja.

Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday at the National Defence College, Abuja, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, assured that the government would protect all military personnel performing lawful duties.

The remarks come amid growing debate over what many describe as a democratic breach involving a civilian minister and a member of the armed forces.

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

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

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

– Defense Minister, Mohammed Badaru, has justified the… pic.twitter.com/X4z0Aj2oQC

— Imran Muhammad (@Imranmuhdz) November 12, 2025

His comments follow a viral video showing Wike confronting Lieutenant A. M. Yerima at a construction site in Abuja’s Gaduwa District.

The FCT Minister accused the officer of obstructing his inspection of a disputed parcel of land allegedly linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Zubairu Gambo.

The officer, however, insisted he was acting on superior orders, leading to a tense exchange that has since divided public opinion.

FCT Phone Ban Sparks Outrage

Meanwhile, barely 24 hours after the viral incident, the FCT Minister has imposed a ban on the use of mobile phones by certain staff of the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) and the Department of Land Administration.

An internal memo issued by the Head of AGIS, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, ordered that all officers on Salary Grade Level 14 and below are no longer permitted to enter the office with their phones, effective Wednesday, November 12, 2025. The memo cited the need to “maintain discipline and information security.”

Another media house, Sahara Reporters, claims its sources within AGIS, told it the decision was triggered by Wike’s anger over how videos of his confrontation with the naval officer circulated widely among civil servants.

“The minister was furious that the videos were shared among staff. He saw it as an act of sabotage. This phone ban is his way of showing anger,” one senior official said.

The order has sparked outrage among civil servants and labour groups, who described it as “impractical” and “counterproductive.”

“Most of us use our phones for official communication. How do we work effectively without them?” one worker asked.

As of press time, the Federal Capital Territory Administration had yet to issue an official statement clarifying the issue, especially with the backlash it is getting.

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