The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has dismissed reports alleging that a Nigerian Navy officer, Lt. Ahmed Yerima, survived an assassination attempt in Abuja, describing the claims as false and unverified.
The denial followed multiple online reports and social media posts (PUNCH not included) claiming that Yerima was trailed by unidentified men dressed in black and travelling in two unmarked Hilux vans without number plates. The alleged chase reportedly began around 6:30 p.m. at the NIPCO filling station along the Kubwa Expressway and continued through Gado Nasco Way before the officer allegedly escaped through a “strategic manoeuvre.”
Speculation quickly tied the supposed incident to Yerima’s recent confrontation with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, over a disputed land allocation in Abuja.
However, in a statement issued Sunday night, FCT Command spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, firmly refuted the claims, stressing that no such incident had been reported or recorded anywhere in the territory.
“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 urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to the nearest police division.
The controversy comes days after PUNCH Online reported that Yerima clashed with Wike on November 11 over a plot in the Gaduwa District said to belong to former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Zubairu Gambo (retd).
Viral videos captured the moment Yerima, while on security detail, blocked the minister’s team from accessing the site. Wike accused Gambo of carrying out illegal development and berated Yerima for allegedly assaulting Federal Capital Development Authority personnel deployed to halt construction.
The confrontation triggered nationwide debate, with some arguing that the minister was enforcing the law, while military veterans defended Yerima and demanded an apology from Wike.
In a separate statement, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Abubakar, assured that no lawful military personnel would be punished over the incident.
“We will always protect officers on lawful duty,” he said during a briefing ahead of the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day.