A young Nigerian Navy officer, Lt. A.M. Yarima, who recently clashed with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, reportedly survived an assassination attempt on Sunday evening.
Military sources told Vanguard that Yarima was being followed by unidentified men dressed in black, riding in two unmarked Hilux vans with no number plates. The vehicles allegedly tailed him from the NIPCO Filling Station off the Line Expressway to Gado Nasco Way.
The sources said the officer noticed the surveillance and executed a “strategic maneuver,” successfully evading the suspected assailants. The incident reportedly occurred around 6:30 p.m. Authorities are investigating the matter with “the seriousness it deserves,” but further details have been withheld to avoid compromising the investigation.
The development comes days after Lt. Yarima, while on duty with other security personnel, engaged in a tense confrontation with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike over a disputed land site in Gaduwa District. The clash, which was captured on video, sparked public debate and prompted the Presidency to halt the demolition exercise at the site.
Following the incident, military veterans across the country condemned Wike for verbally insulting the officer and rejected calls for disciplinary action against Yarima. 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 the officer faced any punishment.
Durowaiye-Herberts stressed that military personnel owe allegiance to Nigeria—not individual public officials—and insisted that Wike must apologise for his remarks. “How can a public office holder call an officer ‘a fool’ on camera?” he asked, adding that such behavior undermines national institutions and the dignity of public office.
Meanwhile, Minister of Defence Mohammad Badaru Abubakar assured that no military personnel acting lawfully would be sanctioned over the altercation. “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 celebrations 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 previously vowed to mobilise and occupy the FCT Ministry if Lt. Yarima faced any form of disciplinary action.
Post a Comment