The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has dismissed widespread claims that a Nigerian Navy officer, Lt. Ahmed Yerima, escaped an assassination attempt in Abuja, describing the reports as “false” and “unsubstantiated.”
The rumour, which circulated across various online platforms (excluding PUNCH), alleged that Yerima was pursued on Saturday evening by unidentified men in two unmarked Hilux vans without number plates.
The supposed chase was said to have begun at the NIPCO filling station along the Kubwa Expressway and continued down Gado Nasco Way.
According to the reports, the naval officer evaded the suspected assailants through what was described as a “strategic manoeuvre.”
But in a statement issued late Sunday, the FCT Police Command strongly refuted the claims.
“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’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, said.
“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 alleged threat had sparked speculation due to Yerima’s recent confrontation with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, over a disputed plot of land in the Gaduwa District.
The land is reportedly linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Zubairu Gambo (retd).
Viral footage from November 11 showed the naval officer, while on security assignment, blocking the minister’s convoy from accessing the site.
Wike accused the retired naval chief of illegal construction and faulted Yerima for allegedly obstructing Federal Capital Development Authority officials deployed to halt the work.
In the video, the minister was heard berating the officer, calling him a “fool,” a moment that stirred national debate over authority, protocol, and civil–military relations.
The confrontation triggered divided reactions. While some argued that the minister acted within his official mandate, many military veterans defended Yerima and criticised the minister’s approach, calling for an apology instead of disciplinary action.
Amid the controversy, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Abubakar, assured that no military personnel carrying out lawful duty would be punished.
“We will always protect officers on lawful duty,”
he said during preparations for the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day.
The police have urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity, but emphasised that no assassination attempt occurred.
