Alleged Assassination Attempt on Lt. Yerima: Wike, Police Issue Clarification

ByEditor

Nov 17, 2025 #FCT Police clarification, #Kubwa Expressway stop‑and‑search, #Lt. Ahmed Yerima, #Wike naval officer land dispute, #Wike Yerima assassination

Pat Stevens/

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command and Nyesom Wike’s office have dismissed claims that a naval officer, Lt. Ahmed Yerima, narrowly survived an assassination attempt following a confrontation with the FCT Minister.

In a post on X, Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to Minister Wike, described the reports as “maliciously crafted” and rejected the narrative of an ambush.

SP Josephine Adeh, Police Public Relations Officer for the FCT Command, released a statement confirming that no assassination attempt had occurred.

According to the FCT Police Command, on November 16, 2025 at about 18:15, a patrol team intercepted an ash‑coloured Toyota Camry at NNPC Junction along Kubwa Expressway. The vehicle had no visible number plate and fully tinted windows.

Officers approached the car and requested the occupant’s identification and an explanation for the concealed plate.

The occupant initially refused to wind down the window and later declined to identify himself, making multiple phone calls instead.

A few minutes later, three naval personnel arrived, identified the occupant as their colleague, and recorded video and pictures before the vehicle was allowed to leave.

The police continued their operations without further incident.

The incident comes after a public clash between Lt. Yerima and Minister Wike over a disputed plot of land in Gaduwa District, FCT.

Olayinka said the land, allocated in 2007 to Santos Estate Limited for park and recreation purposes, was later sold to private buyers, including a former Chief of Naval Staff, despite a rejected request to convert it to residential use.

He also noted that obedience to orders does not excuse illegal or unreasonable actions.

The story of an alleged assassination attempt had spread on social media, with some reports claiming Lt. Yerima was trailed by unmarked vehicles along the Kubwa Expressway.

The FCT Police Command has categorically denied these claims and urged the public to disregard unverified reports, while also encouraging residents to report suspicious activity via the command’s emergency lines.

The land dispute involving the FCT Administration, Santos Estate, and military-linked individuals remains a central issue in the confrontation.

While social media narratives painted Lt. Yerima as a victim, both Wike’s media team and the FCT Police maintain that the incident was a routine stop-and-search that escalated only because the occupant initially refused to identify himself.