- Safiu Kehinde
Former Nigeria’s Chief of Defense Staff, Lt. Gen. Lucky Irabor (Rtd), has slammed the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, over his verbal assault on naval officer, Lt. Ahmed Yerima, describing the minister’s action as a desecration of military oaths.
NPO Reported that Wike had on Tuesday clash with Yerima and his team over the disputed land claimed to be owned by former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo (Rtd).
The Minister had verbally assaulted Yerima, calling him a fool after the Naval officer and his squad denied him and officials of the FCT Administration assess to the land.
Reacting to the development while speaking at an event on Thursday, Irabor condemned Wike over what he described as a disparaging comment.
The ex-CDS held that calling Yerima a fool desecrated military oath as the Minister has also directly called the Commander-in-Chief, who appointed Gambo, a fool.
“The uniform is not about who is wearing it. The uniform represents the authority of the state. Whether it is a small boy or not, it is the authority of the state.
“It is even worse when it is a commissioned officer who has a Presidential connection. So, when you make such disparaging comment, you have desecrated the oath.
“What you have told the Commander-in-Chief and the authority that infested that position to him is that they are fools” He said.
While explaining how to establish a criminal offense under military law, Irabor held that the verbal assault on Yerima by Wike had rendered whatever justification Wike had in challenging the office ineffective.
“So, it is wrong. In military law, we were taught that for you to establish a crime, there are two elements, actus Reus and Mens Rea.
“Actus Reus, meaning that was this thing done? Is there something that was done? And then the Mens Rea, what is the intention behind it.
“So when a SAN says that the Minister has authority over land and it’s not the duty of a soldier. That is not the issue. If you have any reason to believe that what the young man is doing, there is a channel.
“That is rule of law. So, you desecrating the oath has now left the realm of what the officer was doing.
“It is an offense against the state. So, this is what you the media must try to highlight. I know that over the years, we have lost our educational traction. These are things primary and secondary school students ought to know.” The ex-CDS added.