FCT Police denies assassination attempt on Lt Yerima
The FCT Police Command has strongly denied reports of an “assassination attempt” on Lt. Ahmed Yerima following his widely publicised clash with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike. According to the police, “no such incident has been reported or recorded anywhere within the Federal Capital Territory.”
In a statement, SP Josephine Adeh, the spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, urged the public to disregard these claims, calling them “false information” and warning that spreading them could cause unnecessary panic.
This rebuttal comes amid other reports that Lt. Yerima was allegedly trailed by men in unmarked Hilux vehicles, dressed in black, around 6:30 p.m., before he allegedly executed a manoeuvre to shake them off. Some media outlets cite military sources claiming those vehicles followed him from a filling station on the Line Expressway to Gado Nasco Way.
Meanwhile, the controversy began only days earlier, when Lt. Yerima confronted Wike in Abuja’s Gaduwa District over what he said was a lawful duty tied to his assignment. The Defence Minister, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, publicly defended Yerima, stating that the military will protect any of its officers acting within the law.
In addition, retired military leaders like General Lucky Irabor backed Yerima’s conduct, saying that disrespecting a uniform amounts to disrespecting the authority of the state.
The FCT Police’s denial adds a sharp contrast to reports of an attack, suggesting the narrative of an assassination attempt may be based on unverified claims.
