A young Nigerian Navy officer, Lieutenant A.M. Yarima, who recently made headlines after a confrontation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, reportedly escaped an assassination attempt on Sunday evening in Abuja.

According to Vanguard, the officer was pursued by men clad in black and riding in two unmarked Hilux vans without number plates. The suspicious vehicles allegedly trailed him from the NIPCO Filling Station along the Line Expressway to Gado Nasco Way.

The officer, according to sources, became aware of the surveillance and carried out a “strategic manoeuvre,” managing to shake off the suspected attackers around 6:30 p.m.

“The matter is already under investigation and is receiving the seriousness it deserves,” one of the sources said, explaining that further details are being withheld for security reasons and to avoid jeopardising the inquiry.

The incident comes barely a week after Lieutenant Yarima, while on lawful duty with other security personnel, was involved in a heated encounter with FCT Minister Wike at a disputed demolition site in the Gaduwa District of Abuja. The exchange, which was caught on video, sparked public outrage after the minister was seen verbally attacking the young officer.

The footage prompted the Presidency to suspend the demolition exercise pending further review, while retired military officers and advocacy groups condemned the minister’s outburst.

The Coalition of Retired Veterans, through its spokesperson, Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, described Wike’s language as “disrespectful and unbecoming of a public official,” warning that ex-service members would “occupy both the office and residence of the FCT Minister” if the Navy officer was sanctioned.

Durowaiye-Herberts said the military’s loyalty is to the Nigerian nation, not to individual politicians, and demanded that the minister issue a public apology. “How can a serving public officer call a naval officer a fool on camera?” he asked, describing the act as an affront to national institutions.

In response to the controversy, the Minister of Defence, Mohammad Badaru Abubakar, assured that no military personnel performing their duty lawfully would face punishment.

“We will always protect our officers and armed forces personnel who are carrying out lawful assignments,” Badaru said during a briefing ahead of 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.”

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