A group identified as the Northern Christian Youth Professionals (NCYP) has raised worries about the recent spat between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike and a naval officer identified as Lieutenant. A. Yerima.
In viral clips circulating on social media, the military personnel stopped the former Governor of Rivers State from entering a disputed parcel of land in Abuja, leading to an exchange of words between the two parties. The event reportedly happened on November 11, 2025.
Acknowledging that the land belongs to the FCT government, the group backed Mr Wike, saying that he has the right to enter because he is the minister in charge.
The association also stated that the officer had no right to block Mr Wike’s path because the land is not a military place but land for to a retired naval chief.
It said the Navy went too far and disrespected the government, adding that even if Mr Wike had talked harshly, it still did not give the naval officer the right to stop him, warning that if people support this kind of behaviour, soldiers may start challenging government officials more in the future.
“This is not about Wike as an individual. It is about the office he occupies. Celebrating the humiliation of that institution today risks emboldening similar violations tomorrow against whoever holds the office—and, by extension, against the Nigerian people,” a part of the statement read.
NCYP referenced cases in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada where military officers who obstructed or resisted civilian ministers were sanctioned to preserve democratic norms, noting that the Wike–Yerima confrontation represents “a violation rarely tolerated in established democracies.”
The group called on President Bola Tinubu to order an investigation into the deployment of naval personnel to the property and to discipline all officers involved, appealing to both parties involved in the brouhaha to apologise for the wrongs.