A Nigerian Navy officer, Lt AM Yerima, at the centre of a recent confrontation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has reported an attempt on his life in Abuja.
Yarima was said to have realised he was being followed on Sunday evening by two Hilux vans with no registration plates.
According to security sources, the men in the vehicles were dressed in black and allegedly tailed him from a filling station near the Line Expressway to the Gado Nasco area.
The officer was understood to have adjusted his route and carried out what one source described as a "calculated escape," managing to shake off the vehicles before reaching a secure location.
It was said that the incident occurred at about 6:30pm and that investigators are now reviewing the matter, though officials familiar with the case say few details are being released in order not to compromise ongoing work.
The attempted attack comes less than a week after Yarima was involved in a heated exchange with Wike during a joint operation at a disputed land site in Gaduwa District.
Video footage of the row, in which the minister was seen berating the officer, triggered widespread reaction and forced the Presidency to suspend the demolition exercise planned at the location.
The confrontation also stirred anger among retired military personnel, who accused the minister of disrespecting the armed forces.
Spokesman for the Coalition of Retired Veterans, Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, warned that former service members would occupy the FCT Minister’s office and residence should Yarima face any disciplinary action.
He argued that uniformed personnel serve the nation, not individual politicians, and demanded an apology from Wike.
"No officer deserves to be spoken to in that manner, especially in public," he said, adding that such conduct weakens confidence in national institutions.
Defence Minister Mohammad Badaru Abubakar has since moved to reassure serving personnel, stating that the government would not punish any officer found to be carrying out lawful instructions.
"We will stand by our men and women on legitimate duty," he said at a briefing ahead of next year’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day, insisting that no one acting within the rules would be penalised.
As if press time, the Navy has not issued further comments on the reported assassination attempt.
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