Buratai Warns: Wike’s Verbal Attack on Military Officer a Threat to National Security
Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai (rtd), has raised alarm over what he described as a grave threat to national security following an alleged public confrontation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barrister Nyesom Wike, and a uniformed military officer on November 11, 2025.
In a strongly worded statement released Tuesday, Gen Buratai condemned the minister’s reported outburst, saying it violated the sanctity of military authority and undermined the chain of command that anchors Nigeria’s national defense structure.
“A minister’s verbal assault on a military officer in uniform is an act of profound indiscipline that strikes at the core of our nation’s command and control structure,” Buratai said. “It deliberately undermines the authority of the Commander-in-Chief and wounds the morale of every individual who serves under the Nigerian flag.”
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The former Army Chief stressed that such conduct transcends politics and warned that dismissing the incident as mere political drama would be a costly mistake. He described Wike’s action as “reckless endangerment of national order” and “a direct affront to the federal government’s authority.”
Calling for immediate corrective action, Buratai urged the FCT Minister to issue an unreserved public apology to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, as well as to the entire military establishment and the officer involved.
“Our nation’s security must come first,” Buratai emphasized. “It is time for decisive action, not politics of military bashing. The integrity of our Armed Forces demands nothing less.”
The statement, which has already stirred reactions within security and political circles, underscores growing concerns about the rising friction between political appointees and military institutions — a development observers warn could have broader implications for civil-military relations in the country.