A former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd.), has faulted the alleged verbal altercation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, and a uniformed military officer in Abuja, describing it as “a threat to national security and institutional integrity.”
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Buratai said the incident, which reportedly occurred on Nov. 11, amounted to undermining the authority of the Commander-in-Chief and could negatively affect military morale.
He said that public confrontation or disparagement of a serving officer in uniform by a political office holder was “an act capable of weakening the chain of command” and could set a wrong precedent for civil-military relations.
“A minister’s verbal assault on a military officer is an act of profound indiscipline that strikes at the core of our nation’s command and control structure. It undermines constituted authority and threatens national order,” Buratai said.
He added that the Armed Forces of Nigeria operate strictly on hierarchy, respect for uniform, and established channels of communication, noting that any action that weakens those values could compromise national security.
The former army chief said that the alleged incident “could not be dismissed as political theatrics,” stressing that the uniform represents the authority of the Nigerian state and the sacrifices of men and women serving the country.
Buratai called on Wike to issue “an immediate and unequivocal public apology to President Bola Tinubu as Commander-in-Chief, to the Armed Forces, and to the affected officer.”
“Our nation’s security must always come first. The integrity of our Armed Forces demands nothing less,” he added.
As at the time of filing this report, there had been no official reaction from the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) or the Office of the Minister regarding the allegations.
