The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has refuted viral reports alleging that a Nigerian Navy officer, Lt. Ahmed Yerima, narrowly survived an assassination attempt in Abuja, describing the story as baseless and unsupported by any facts.
Rumours circulating online had claimed that Yerima was pursued by unidentified men dressed in black, riding in two unmarked Hilux vans without number plates. According to those accounts, the alleged chase began around 6:30 p.m. at the NIPCO filling station along the Kubwa Expressway and continued all the way to Gado Nasco Way, with Yerima reportedly escaping through a “strategic manoeuvre.”
Speculation online linked the supposed incident to Yerima’s recent heated confrontation with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike over a disputed land in Abuja, further fuelling the narrative.
However, in a statement released Sunday night, FCT police spokesperson SP Josephine Adeh dismissed the entire account.
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“The attention of the FCT Police Command has been drawn to publications circulating on social media alleging an attempted assassination on Lt. Ahmed Yerima.
The command wishes to categorically state that no such incident has been reported or recorded anywhere within the Federal Capital Territory.
The public is advised to disregard this false information and desist from spreading unverified claims capable of causing unnecessary panic,” the statement read.
Adeh encouraged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to the nearest police division.
The viral reports surfaced days after Yerima clashed with Minister Wike on November 11 over a plot of land in the Gaduwa District. The land is reportedly linked to former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Zubairu Gambo (rtd).
Widely shared videos captured Yerima, who was on security duty, blocking the minister’s convoy from accessing the site. Wike accused Gambo of carrying out illegal development on the land and confronted Yerima for allegedly assaulting Federal Capital Development Authority officials deployed to halt construction. During the confrontation, the minister was heard calling the officer a “fool.”
The drama ignited national debate, with some defending Wike’s actions as part of his constitutional role, while military veterans publicly backed Yerima and demanded an apology from the minister.
Meanwhile, Minister of Defence Mohammed Abubakar assured that no officer acting within the law would face punishment, saying, “We will always protect officers on lawful duty.”