The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has dismissed claims that a Nigerian Navy officer, Lt AM Yerima, survived an assassination attempt in Abuja, describing the reports as unfounded and unsupported by any credible evidence.
The rebuttal followed a wave of online posts and media reports alleging that Yerima was trailed by unidentified men dressed in black and riding in two unmarked Hilux vans without number plates.
The purported chase was said to have begun around 6:30 pm at the NIPCO filling station along the Kubwa Expressway before continuing towards Gado Nasco Way, with the officer allegedly escaping through a "strategic manoeuvre."
Speculation quickly grew, linking the reported incident to Yerima’s recent confrontation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over a disputed plot of land in Abuja, a dispute that had already drawn national attention.
But in a statement issued on Sunday night, the FCT Police spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, said the account was entirely fictitious and had no record within any division of the command.
"The attention of the FCT Police Command has been drawn to publications circulating on social media alleging an attempted assassination on Lt Ahmed Yerima.
"The command wishes to categorically state that no such incident has been reported or recorded anywhere within the Federal Capital Territory.
"The public is advised to disregard this false information and desist from spreading unverified claims capable of causing unnecessary panic," the statement read.
Adeh urged residents to remain alert and report suspicious activity to the nearest police station.
Yerima had been in the news earlier this month after clashing with Wike at a contested site in the Gaduwa District, reportedly allocated to a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Zubairu Gambo (retd).
Viral footage showed Yerima, on security duty, blocking the minister’s team from accessing the area.
Wike accused the former naval chief of undertaking unlawful development and confronted Yerima for allegedly obstructing officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority who had attempted to halt the construction.
The exchange, during which the minister was heard calling the officer a "fool," triggered a wider debate over authority, civility, and the limits of ministerial power.
While some observers defended Wike’s intervention as an effort to enforce planning regulations, several military veterans publicly backed Yerima, rejecting calls for disciplinary action and insisting the officer acted within his mandate.
In a separate comment on Sunday, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Abubakar, assured that no service member performing lawful duties would be victimised.
"We will always protect officers on lawful duty," he said during a briefing ahead of the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day.
READ ALSO: Yerima Escapes Alleged Assassination Attempt
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