A young Nigerian Navy officer, Lt. A.M. Yarima, who recently clashed with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has reportedly escaped an assassination attempt in Abuja.
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According to military sources who spoke to Vanguard, the incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. on Sunday when the officer was allegedly trailed by unidentified men dressed in black and riding in two unmarked Hilux vans without number plates. The suspects reportedly followed him from the NIPCO Filling Station off the Line Expressway to Gado Nasco Way.
The sources said Lt. Yarima, after noticing the suspicious vehicles, executed a “strategic maneuver” and successfully evaded the suspected assailants.
The matter has been formally reported and is currently under investigation. Security officials say the case is being handled with “the seriousness it deserves,” while additional details are being withheld to avoid compromising ongoing inquiries.
Sunday’s incident comes just days after Lt. Yarima engaged in a tense confrontation with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike at a disputed land site in Gaduwa District. The altercation—captured on video—showed the officer standing his ground during a demolition operation, prompting widespread debate and a directive from the Presidency halting the exercise.
Following the confrontation, military veterans across the country condemned Wike’s remarks toward the officer and rejected calls for disciplinary action against Lt. Yarima.
The spokesman of the Coalition of Retired Veterans, Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, warned that ex-service members would “occupy the office and residence of the FCT Minister” if any punishment was meted out to the officer. He insisted that military personnel pledge allegiance to the nation, not to individual public officials.
“How can a public office holder call an officer ‘a fool’ on camera?” he asked, stressing that such conduct disrespects national institutions and diminishes the dignity of public office.
