A young Nigerian Navy officer, Lieutenant A. M. Yerima, who recently clashed with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has reportedly escaped an assassination attempt in Abuja.
Military sources told Vanguard that on Sunday evening, Yarima was trailed by unidentified men dressed in black and riding in two unmarked Hilux vans without number plates. The vehicles were said to have followed him from the NIPCO Filling Station off the Line Expressway to Gado Nasco Way at about 6:30 p.m.
Sensing he was being monitored, the officer was said to have carried out a “strategic maneuver” and successfully evaded the suspected assailants. The incident has since been reported to the relevant authorities.
According to the source, the matter is now under investigation and is being treated with “the seriousness it deserves,” with further operational details being withheld so as not to compromise the process.
Clash With Wike
The development comes days after Lt. Yarima, while on official duty with other security personnel, had a heated confrontation with FCT Minister Wike over a disputed land site in the Gaduwa District of Abuja. The altercation, which was captured on video, generated widespread public reactions and led to intervention from the Presidency, which ordered a halt to the demolition exercise at the site.
Following the clash, military veterans across the country condemned Wike’s verbal attack on the young officer and warned against any disciplinary action being taken against him.
Minister of Defence, Mohammad Badaru Abubakar, has assured that no military personnel acting within the law will be sanctioned over the incident.
“We will always protect officers and our armed forces personnel on lawful duty,” Badaru said during a ministerial briefing for the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebrations at the National Defence College, Abuja.
“Any officer on lawful duty will be protected if he is doing his job lawfully and doing it well.”
Security agencies are expected to release more details on the reported assassination attempt as investigations progress.