𝐖𝐢𝐤𝐞: 𝐍𝐨 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐰𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐝𝐮𝐭𝐲’𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 — 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫

Minister of Defence, Mohammad Badaru Abubakar, has assured that no officer or soldier carrying out lawful duties will face punishment over the recent altercation involving military personnel and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in Abuja.

Badaru gave the assurance on Wednesday while reacting to viral videos showing a heated exchange between Wike and soldiers at a disputed land site in the FCT. He emphasized that the military remains a disciplined institution that upholds professionalism, noting that any action taken by soldiers in the line of duty would be guided by established rules of engagement.

He said, “No soldier or officer performing a lawful duty will be punished unjustly. We have a clear chain of command and established procedures for handling civil-military relations. Where a misunderstanding occurs, we investigate and act accordingly.”

The Defence Minister commended the soldiers for maintaining composure during the encounter, adding that the ministry is working with the FCT Administration to prevent future incidents of that nature.

He further urged public officials and citizens to respect uniformed personnel performing legitimate duties, stressing that cooperation between civilians and the military is essential for national security and order.