Former Senator Dino Melaye has publicly called out FCT Minister Nyesom Wike for trying to deny what many see as undeniable, a heated verbal attack on a Nigerian Navy officer captured on video.
The controversy stems from a Tuesday, November 11 confrontation at a disputed Abuja property allegedly linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff.
Wike had stormed the site, declared the land illegally acquired, and ordered an immediate halt to construction work.
Things turned ugly when Naval Lieutenant A.M. Yerima, stationed there with his team to secure the area, engaged with the minister. What followed was an explosive exchange that has now gone viral.
In a widely circulated recording, Wike is clearly heard shouting at the officer:
“Shut up your mouth, who does that? Will you keep quiet? Are you a big fool? You are a big fool.”
The incident sparked widespread criticism from military personnel and Nigerians who felt the minister had crossed a line by disrespecting the armed forces.
But at a press conference on Thursday, November 14, Wike attempted damage control, claiming his words were misunderstood.
“Some people said I called the boy a fool. What I meant was this: you cannot be carrying out an illegal order. I didn’t say, ‘the military, you are a fool,'” Wike insisted.
He went on to defend his track record of supporting security agencies and compared the situation to a professor behaving badly, suggesting the officer’s position didn’t shield him from criticism.
Dino Melaye wasn’t buying it. Taking to social media, the outspoken former lawmaker mocked Wike’s explanation:
“With eleven microphones, he attempts a denial of what he said with no microphone. Spirit of error na shege,” Melaye wrote, implying the minister’s backtracking was both pointless and embarrassing given the clear audio evidence.
