Did Donald Trump Shower Praises On The Naval Officer Who Confronted Wike?

On November 12, 2025, a X user identified as Nuhu Sada, a candidate for the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in the 2025 Bye-Elections for the Kaduna State House of Assembly, representing Zaria Kewaye Constituency, posted a collage picture of President Donald Trump and Lt. A. M. Yerima. This collage was accompanied by the claim that the U.S. president, Donald Trump, showered praises on Yerima for confronting the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike. The claim further said that Trump has appointed the naval personnel to lead the fight against the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Boko Haram and ISWAP. 

The post is captioned, “🚨 BREAKING: U.S President Donald Trump has hailed Lt. A. M. Yerima for his courage and integrity, describing him as a more patriotic Nigerian than Wike. In a statement released yesterday at the White House, President Trump named Lt. A. M. Yerima to lead the frontline operations against IPOB in the East, as well as Boko Haram and ISWAP. In Nigeria.”

When this report was published, the post had about 845,000 views and over 5,200 replies, reposts, quotes, likes and bookmarks. In the comment section, @Expensive1Bd said “I’m not supporting him leading IPOB to face BKH or ISWAP..that’s a deadline…if you can remember the scenario of comrade Ali after leading his squads to face BKH and conquer them what happened to him at the middle of night…who killed him,is it the BKH that killed him ?” while @rashidizy1 wrote “Was actually against the Trump movement but Now I think it's the best choice for Nigerians”.

VERIFICATION

Lieutenant A. M. Yerima is a Nigerian naval officer who recently became the subject of a viral confrontation with Wike, the Minister of the FCT. The confrontation, which is about land access in Abuja, has sparked debate about military involvement in civil matters.

A search for remarks by Donald Trump that match the claim through his official social media handle and the U.S government website returned no source. There are no statements from Trump, his office, or mainstream news outlets confirming this quote or sentiment.

The Ministry of Defence in Nigeria acknowledged the incident and said it would ensure protection of officers carrying out lawful duties, but did not reference any international praise.

If the U. S. president publicly praised a foreign military officer by name, especially comparing him to a senior Nigerian politician, recommending him to lead an operational team to tackle insurgency in Nigeria would likely be covered by major international media. But none has been reported.

CONCLUSION

The claim that the U.S president showered praises on the naval officer who confronted the minister of the FCT, and appointing him to lead an operational team to tackle insurgency in Nigeria is FALSE. There is no evidence that Trump has made any public statement praising Yerima or comparing him to Wike, nor appointed Yerima to any post.