By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
Tension has escalated in Abuja as a Nigerian Navy officer, Lieutenant A.M. Yarima, who recently featured in a viral confrontation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, reportedly survived an alleged assassination attempt on Sunday evening.
Military sources told newsman that the officer was trailed by suspected assailants dressed in black and riding in two unmarked Hilux vehicles with no number plates. Yarima, who was said to have been driving from the NIPCO Filling Station off Line Expressway toward Gado Nasco Way, noticed the suspicious movement around 6:30 p.m., prompting him to apply what an insider described as a “tactical escape maneuver.”
The incident is currently under military investigation, with officials saying details are being withheld to avoid jeopardising ongoing intelligence work.
The latest development comes barely days after Yarima was involved in a heated on-duty exchange with the FCT Minister at a disputed demolition site in the Gaduwa District — a scene captured on video and widely circulated online, triggering heated public reactions and military veterans’ solidarity with the officer.
Following the confrontation, several retired military personnel condemned Wike’s remarks and vowed to resist any disciplinary action against Yarima. The Coalition of Retired Veterans, led by Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, warned that former service members were ready to “occupy” the minister’s office and residence if punitive measures were taken against the officer.
“We cannot watch a public office holder verbally assault a serving officer performing a lawful duty. The dignity of national institutions must be upheld,” Durowaiye-Herberts said.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Defence, Mohammad Badaru Abubakar, assured that no officer acting within legal boundaries would face sanctions, insisting that the Defence Ministry stands firmly behind personnel on official assignment.
“We will always protect officers performing their duties lawfully,” Badaru noted during a briefing for the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day.