No Assassination Attempt on Lt. Yerima, FCT Police Debunks Viral Claims
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has dismissed reports alleging that a Nigerian Navy officer, Lt. Ahmed Yerima, escaped an assassination attempt in Abuja, insisting the claims are false, unverified, and capable of inciting public panic.
The rebuttal comes after viral claims that the officer was trailed by unidentified men dressed in black and riding in two unmarked Hilux vans without number plates on Sunday evening.
According to the claims, the alleged pursuit began around 6:30 p.m. at the NIPCO filling station along the Kubwa Expressway and continued through Gado Nasco Way, with Yerima said to have escaped through a “strategic manoeuvre.”
The publications further speculated that the alleged chase may have been linked to Yerima’s recent confrontation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over a contentious land allocation in Gaduwa District.
The reported standoff between the officer and the minister, which went viral last week, had provoked public outrage and triggered reactions from military veterans and civil groups, fueling suspicion around the purported assassination attempt.
However, in a statement issued on Sunday night, the FCT Police Command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, categorically debunked the reports, stressing that no such incident occurred anywhere within 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 statement read.
“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.”
Adeh urged residents to rely on verified information and avoid amplifying sensational narratives that could undermine public confidence in security agencies.
She also encouraged members of the public to stay vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to the nearest police division to aid proactive policing across the nation’s capital.