Lieutenant A.M. Yarima of the Nigerian Navy, who recently clashed with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, reportedly evaded an attempt on his life on Sunday evening in Abuja.
According to military sources quoted by Vanguard, the young officer was pursued by unidentified men dressed in black and travelling in two unmarked Hilux vans without number plates. The suspected assailants were said to have tailed him from the NIPCO Filling Station along the Line Expressway to Gado Nasco Way.
Realising he was being followed, Yarima was reported to have carried out a calculated evasive move that allowed him to escape. The incident occurred at about 6:30 p.m., the source said. The matter has since been taken up by military authorities, who noted that investigators are treating it with utmost seriousness while keeping further information confidential to avoid jeopardising the process.
This development follows days after Yarima was involved in a heated confrontation with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike at a contentious land site in Gaduwa District. Footage of the exchange circulated widely, generating national debate and prompting the Presidency
to order a halt to the demolition activities taking place at the location.The altercation triggered backlash from military veterans across the country, who condemned the minister for his verbal outburst against the officer and dismissed calls for disciplinary measures against Yarima. The Coalition of Retired Veterans, through its spokesman Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, warned that ex-service members would stage a demonstration at both the office and residence of the FCT Minister should any sanctions be imposed.
He argued that members of the armed forces pledge loyalty to the nation rather than to individual government officials and insisted that Wike should apologise for his conduct, which he said disrespected national institutions and demeaned public office.
Meanwhile, Minister of Defence Mohammad Badaru Abubakar has given assurances that no service member acting within the bounds of the law will be punished over the confrontation. Speaking at a ministerial briefing ahead of the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day activities at the National Defence College, he emphasised that officers performing their duties responsibly would continue to receive full protection.
Veterans had earlier threatened mass mobilisation to the FCT Ministry should any disciplinary action be taken against Lt. Yarima.
