The recent public confrontation between the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, and a naval officer, Lieutenant Ahmad Yerima, has sparked a significant debate across Nigeria. A Nigerian man based in the United States has now weighed in, offering a critical perspective on the officer's conduct during the heated exchange.
Ifeanyi Eze's Critical Analysis of the Incident
Ifeanyi Eze, the US-based commentator, took to Facebook to share his thoughts on the viral incident, which occurred and was widely reported on November 13, 2025. In his post, Eze did not mince words, directly faulting the conduct of Lieutenant Ahmad Yerima. He argued that the naval officer should not have escalated the situation by engaging in a verbal altercation with the minister.
According to Eze, the appropriate course of action for Lieutenant Yerima would have been to simply state that he was acting on an order and then disengage. He emphasized that a serviceman exchanging words with a federal minister constitutes bad conduct. Eze wrote, "The Navy guy should NOT have escalated the disagreement by exchanging words with the Minister of FCT... just say he’s acting according to order. Finish. Verbal altercation with a federal minister is NOT a good conduct for a sailor." He also added a caution for the minister, stating, "Also, Wike needs to calm down."
Explaining the 'Chain of Command' for Military Personnel
In the comment section of his post, Ifeanyi Eze further elaborated on his position, providing a crucial distinction between the rules governing military personnel and civilians. He expressed surprise that many people do not understand that members of the armed forces operate under a different set of rules.
"They swore allegiance to the state and constitution," Eze stated. "They will always follow the chain of command. We civilians did NOT swear to obey anyone. We can insult our president and senators the way we want. We are free people. Military personnels are NOT free like us. They must follow orders and they cannot rebuke the presidency."
He drove his point home by highlighting the ultimate authority of the President as the Commander-in-Chief. "The president is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces," he wrote. "His orders supersedes every other officer in the military. And military personnel should not engage in verbal altercation with anyone acting on behalf of the president. These are not normal rules for civilians."
Mixed Public Reactions to the Commentary
Ifeanyi Eze's analysis has been met with a wave of mixed reactions from the Nigerian public. While some agreed with his legalistic perspective on military protocol, many others felt he was being unfair to the naval officer, who they believed showed remarkable restraint.
One Facebook user, Amaka Theophilus, strongly disagreed, questioning: "So, he should have said 'yes sir' when the ogogoro man called him a fool several times while bathing him with kai kai spit?"
Another user, Martin Oge Ozueh, challenged the premise: "When you meet a military personnel tell him he's f00lish and let's see how he will descalate the situation and make you calm down."
Others, however, acknowledged the officer's composure. Mi Chael commented, "The guy exercised profound restraint sir. I am not sure you could have maintained his kind of composure if you were in his shoes," while ThankGod Praise simply stated, "Well, the officer exercised maximum restraint." Engr Anthony Uduma also defended the officer, noting, "Which altercation if I may ask... He never Insulted the minister in any way just following orders from his boss..."
The clash continues to be a major topic of discussion, highlighting the complex relationship between political authority and military discipline in the public sphere.
