A Nigerian Navy officer, Lt. A.M. Yerima, the same officer who recently clashed with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, reportedly escaped an assassination attempt in Abuja on Sunday evening.
Military sources told Vanguard that Yerima was trailed by unidentified men dressed in black and riding in two unmarked Hilux vans. The suspicious vehicles allegedly followed him from the NIPCO Filling Station off the Line Expressway down to Gado Nasco Way.
Sensing danger, the officer reportedly executed a “strategic maneuver” and successfully evaded the suspected attackers. The incident occurred at about 6:30 p.m.
Sources confirmed that the matter is now under investigation and is being handled with “the seriousness it deserves,” though additional details are being withheld to avoid jeopardising the probe.
The development comes just days after Yerima, while on official duty, engaged in a heated confrontation with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike over a disputed land site in Gaduwa District, an incident captured on video and widely circulated across social media. Public reaction to the clash was swift, prompting intervention from the Presidency, which ordered an immediate suspension of the demolition exercise at the site.
Since the confrontation, military veterans across the country have condemned Wike’s verbal outburst at the officer and dismissed calls for disciplinary action against Yerima.
Spokesman for 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 punitive measures were taken against the officer.
He insisted that armed forces personnel swear allegiance to Nigeria — not to individual public officials — and demanded that Wike apologise for insulting a serving officer on camera.
Meanwhile, Minister of Defence Mohammed Badaru Abubakar has assured the public that no military personnel will be punished for performing their lawful duties.
“We will always protect officers and our armed forces personnel on lawful duty,” he said during a briefing ahead of the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day. “Any officer carrying out his job lawfully will be protected.”
Veterans had earlier vowed to mobilise nationwide if Lt. Yerima faced any form of discipline.