A Nigerian Navy officer, Lieutenant A.M. Yarima—at the centre of a recent confrontation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike—reportedly escaped an assassination attempt on Sunday evening in Abuja.
Military sources told Vanguard that Yarima was tailed by unidentified men dressed in black and travelling in two unmarked Hilux vans without number plates. The suspicious vehicles allegedly followed him from the NIPCO Filling Station off Line Expressway down to Gado Nasco Way.
Sensing he was being monitored, the officer was said to have carried out a “strategic maneuver,” successfully shaking off the suspected assailants. The incident occurred around 6:30 p.m., according to the source.
Authorities are said to be investigating the matter with “the seriousness it deserves,” though details are being kept confidential to avoid jeopardising the ongoing probe.
The development comes just days after a widely publicised altercation between Lt. Yarima and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike at a disputed land site in Gaduwa District. The confrontation, caught on video, triggered heated national debate and prompted the Presidency to halt demolition activities at the location.
Following the clash, military veterans across the country condemned Minister Wike for verbally insulting the officer, rejecting any calls for disciplinary action against Yarima.
Spokesman of 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 sanctions were imposed. He emphasised that military personnel owe their allegiance to Nigeria—not individual political office holders—and insisted that Wike must apologise.
“How can a public officer call an officer ‘a fool’ on camera?” he said, arguing that such behaviour disrespects national institutions and demeans public leadership.
Meanwhile, Minister of Defence, Mohammad Badaru Abubakar, has assured that no service member acting lawfully would be punished 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. “Any officer performing his duties lawfully and diligently will be protected.”
Veterans had earlier vowed to mobilise nationwide resistance if Lt. Yarima faced any form of disciplinary action.
