The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has dismissed claims that Lt. Ahmed Yerima, the naval officer involved in a recent altercation with Governor Nyesom Wike, was targeted in an assassination attempt in Abuja.
Media reports on Sunday suggested that Yerima was trailed by unidentified men dressed in black, travelling in two unmarked Hilux vans. According to the reports, the pursuit began around 6:30pm at the NIPCO filling station along Kubwa Expressway and continued to Gado-NASCO Way. The reports claimed that Yerima evaded the assailants using a “strategic manoeuvre” during a high-speed chase.
TheCable reports that the officer, driving a tinted-glass vehicle, was stopped by police officers around Kubwa, who requested his identification before allowing him to continue his journey.
In a statement, FCT Police spokesperson Josephine Adeh described the assassination claims as “false” and “unverified.” She said, “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 incident comes after Wike was involved in a heated confrontation with soldiers on November 11 over a disputed piece of land in the nation’s capital. Yerima, who led the team, was at the centre of the dispute, which has since become a trending topic on social media, spawning numerous skits and discussions