Breaking: Military Officer Who Stood Against Wike Narrowly Escapes Deadly Assassination In Abuja
- Lt Yarima survived an attempted assassination after unidentified men in unmarked vans trailed him in Abuja
- The officer detected the surveillance and used a strategic manoeuvre to evade the suspected attackers
- The scare followed days after his heated confrontation with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike which drew nationwide reactions
A Nigerian Navy officer, Lieutenant A. M. Yarima, who recently clashed with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has reportedly survived an assassination attempt in Abuja.
Military sources confirmed this Monday, November 10, that the officer was trailed on Sunday evening by unidentified men dressed in black and riding in two unmarked Hilux vans without number plates.
Source: Twitter
The alleged assailants were said to have followed him from the NIPCO Filling Station off the Line Expressway to Gado Nasco Way.
Officer Yerima escaped after detecting suspicious surveillance
According to a senior military source, Lt. Yarima noticed he was being followed and executed what was described as a “strategic manoeuvre” to evade the suspected attackers.
“The officer observed he was under surveillance and took immediate tactical action to avoid danger.
"He succeeded in shaking them off. The matter is under investigation and is receiving the seriousness it deserves," the source said.
The incident reportedly occurred at about 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 16.
The source added that further details were being withheld so as not to compromise ongoing investigations.
Naval officer and Wike's drama in Abuja
The assassination scare comes days after Lt. Yarima engaged in a heated confrontation with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike at a disputed land site in Gaduwa District.
The altercation, which was captured on video, showed the minister angrily addressing the officer while security personnel attempted to manage tensions at the scene, The Cable reported.
The video sparked widespread debates and forced the Presidency to suspend the demolition exercise linked to the dispute.
Veterans warned against any sanction on Yarima
Following the clash, military veterans across the country criticised Wike’s conduct and warned against any disciplinary action targeting the officer.
The Spokesman for the Coalition of Retired Veterans, Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, issued a stern warning.
“If the officer is punished, we will occupy the office and residence of the FCT Minister. Military personnel swear allegiance to Nigeria, not to individual political office holders," he said.
He added:
“How can a public office holder call an officer ‘a fool’ on camera? This behaviour undermines our national institutions and demeans the dignity of public office.”
Durowaiye-Herberts insisted that Wike must apologise to the officer, describing the minister’s remarks as unacceptable, Vanguard reported.
Defence Minister assures protection for lawful officers
Source: Twitter
Meanwhile, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has assured that no military personnel acting within the law will face sanctions over the confrontation.
Badaru said during a ministerial briefing ahead of the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day:
“We will always protect officers and our armed forces personnel on lawful duty.
“Any officer on lawful duty will be protected if he is doing his job lawfully and doing it well.”
Veterans had earlier vowed to mobilise and occupy the FCT Ministry if Lt. Yarima faced disciplinary action following his altercation with the FCT Minister.
Buratai speaks on Wike's clash with military officers
Previously, Legit.ng reported that Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), might have gotten it wrong with his cofrontation with a soldier in uniform during his enforcement visit to a disputed land in Abuja on Tuesday, November 11.
In a Facebook post hours after the incident, the former army boss noted that the "public disparagement of a uniformed officer of the Nigerian Armed Forces" by the minister went beyond ordinary misconduct, but was a potential threat to the integrity of the institution and national security.
According to Buratai, Wike's verbal assault on the military officer who was in uniform was purely "profound indiscipline", which was purely against Nigeria's "command and control structure." He explained that it is a direct disrespect to the "Commander-in-Chief", which is President Bola Tinubu.
Source: Legit.ng
