Lieutenant A.M. Yarima, the Nigerian Navy officer who recently gained national attention following a heated verbal confrontation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has reportedly escaped a suspected assassination attempt in Abuja on Sunday evening.
According to military sources, Lt. Yarima was trailed by unidentified men in two unmarked Hilux vans without license plates while driving along the NIPCO Filling Station to Gado Nasco Way, but he successfully evaded the assailants through a strategic maneuver.
The alleged assassination attempt comes just days after the public confrontation with the FCT Minister. Last week, Lt. Yarima and his team prevented FCT Minister Wike and his entourage from accessing a disputed piece of land in the Gaduwa District of Abuja. The land is allegedly linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice-Admiral Awwal Gambo (Rtd). Video footage of the incident went viral, showing a fierce verbal exchange where Wike repeatedly called the officer “a fool”, while Yarima stood his ground, insisting he was acting on orders from a superior officer.
Click HERE to watch the video
The clash drew condemnation from retired military personnel. The Coalition of Retired Veterans, through its spokesman Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, lambasted Wike for disrespecting a uniformed officer. Herberts explicitly warned that if Lt. Yarima faced any punishment, military veterans will occupy the office and residence of the FCT Minister.
Minister of Defence Mohammed Badaru also promised that the military high command would always protect our officers on lawful duty and assured that the issue was being investigated.
The incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. Military sources state that the matter is under investigation and is being treated with the seriousness it deserves, though more details are being withheld to avoid compromising the inquiry as at the time this report was published.
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