A young Nigerian Navy officer, Lt. A.M. Yarima—who recently clashed with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike—was reportedly the target of an assassination attempt on Sunday evening.
According to Vanguard, military insiders hinted that Yarima was followed by unidentified men dressed in black and travelling in two unmarked Hilux trucks with no licence plates.
The vehicles allegedly trailed him from the NIPCO Filling Station off the Line Expressway to Gado Nasco Way.
According to one of the sources, the officer became aware that he was being monitored and carried out a “strategic maneuver,” which enabled him to escape the suspected attackers.
The incident was said to have taken place at about 6:30 p.m.
The source added that authorities have opened an investigation into the matter and are treating it “with the seriousness it deserves,” noting that additional information is being withheld to avoid compromising ongoing findings.
The development follows a tense encounter days earlier between Lt. Yarima and FCT Minister Wike during a dispute over a land site in the Gaduwa District. The confrontation, recorded on video, triggered public debate and led to intervention from the Presidency, which subsequently suspended the demolition exercise at the location.
In the aftermath, military veterans across the country condemned Wike for verbally insulting the naval officer and dismissed calls for disciplinary action against Yarima.
The spokesman for the Coalition of Retired Veterans, Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, cautioned that ex-servicemen would “occupy the office and residence of the FCT Minister” if any punishment was imposed on the officer.
He emphasised that military personnel pledge loyalty to the nation rather than individual officeholders, insisting that the minister must apologise for his comments.
“How can a public office holder call an officer ‘a fool’ on camera?” he asked, arguing that such behaviour erodes respect for national institutions and diminishes the stature of public office.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Defence, Mohammad Badaru Abubakar, has assured that no military operative carrying out lawful duties would be penalised over the incident.
“We will always protect officers and our armed forces personnel on lawful duty,” Badaru said during a ministerial briefing ahead of the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day events at the National Defence College.
“Any officer on lawful duty will be protected if he is doing his job lawfully and doing it well.”
Veterans had earlier threatened to mobilise and occupy the FCT Ministry if Lt. Yarima faced any disciplinary measures.
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