A Nigerian Navy officer, Lieutenant A.M. Yarima, on Sunday evening narrowly escaped an alleged assassination attempt in Abuja, days after his widely publicised confrontation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, PLATFORM TIMES reports.
Military sources told our correspondent that the officer was trailed by suspected assailants around 6:30 p.m. while driving from the NIPCO Filling Station off the Line Expressway towards Gado Nasco Way.
The suspects, described as men dressed entirely in black and riding in two unmarked Hilux vans without number plates, reportedly stalked his vehicle for several minutes.
Sensing danger, Lt. Yarima was said to have carried out what a senior military source described as a “strategic manoeuvre,” enabling him to evade the suspected attackers.
The source, who insisted on anonymity due to the ongoing investigation, confirmed that the military authorities are treating the incident with “the seriousness it deserves,” adding that additional details are being withheld so as not to jeopardise the probe.
The attempted attack comes barely a week after a heated confrontation between Lt. Yarima and FCT Minister Wike at a disputed land site in Gaduwa District.
The altercation, captured in a viral video, drew widespread public anger, with many Nigerians accusing the minister of verbally demeaning the officer while on official duty.
Following the incident, the Presidency suspended the demolition exercise at the location and called for calm.
The confrontation also sparked backlash from retired military officers across the country.
The Coalition of Retired Veterans, led by Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, condemned Wike’s conduct and warned that ex-service members would “occupy the office and residence of the FCT Minister” if any disciplinary action was taken against Lt. Yarima.
“How can a public office holder call an officer ‘a fool’ on camera?” Durowaiye-Herberts queried, insisting that soldiers owe allegiance to Nigeria and not to individual office holders.
Amid the tension, the Minister of Defence, Mohammad Badaru Abubakar, assured that no soldier acting lawfully would be punished for carrying out legitimate duties.
“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. “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 further updates as investigations into the alleged assassination attempt progress.
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