Minister of Defence, Mohammad Badaru Abubakar, has assured that no officer or soldier on lawful duty will be punished over the recent altercation involving troops and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, in Abuja.
Speaking at a ministerial briefing to flag off activities for the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration at the National Defence College, Abuja, Badaru stressed that the military hierarchy would stand firmly behind personnel acting within the law.
“We will always protect officers and our armed forces personnel on lawful duty. Any officer on lawful duty will be protected if he is doing his job lawfully and if he does it well,” he said.
His assurance follows threats from a coalition of retired military veterans, who vowed to mobilise and occupy the FCT ministry if the officer who led soldiers to secure a disputed landed property in Abuja was sanctioned. The veterans insist the officer acted on lawful orders.
On the broader security situation, the minister said the armed forces have recorded “significant operational milestones” under President Bola Tinubu through improved synergy among the services and other security agencies.
According to him, within the life of the current administration, troops have neutralised over 13,000 terrorists and criminals, arrested more than 17,000 suspects and rescued nearly 10,000 hostages. He added that over 100,000 Boko Haram and ISWAP combatants and their families have surrendered.
Badaru noted that coordinated operations have dismantled key terrorist enclaves, eliminated notorious bandit leaders and restored peace to hundreds of communities, enabling displaced persons to return home. In the South-South, he said, over 1,900 illegal refining sites have been destroyed in efforts to safeguard national economic assets.
He also highlighted ongoing military modernisation, citing the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) Act 2023 as a milestone in boosting indigenous defence production, alongside the acquisition of Armoured Fighting Vehicles, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and naval platforms.
Meanwhile, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, has alleged that former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo (retd.), was deceived into purchasing land in Abuja originally designated for park and recreational use.
Olayinka, in a post on X, claimed the land was allocated in 2007 to Santos Estate Limited for park and recreation, but was later partitioned and sold to unsuspecting buyers, including Gambo, despite a rejected request to convert it to residential use. He argued that Gambo should focus his grievances on those who sold the land to him, rather than officials of the FCT Administration enforcing land-use regulations.
Olayinka also reacted to comments by former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai (retd.), noting that as Director General of Rotimi Amaechi’s campaign, Buratai had “done his job.”
