Nation
Police Refute Assassination Attempt on Lt. Yerima, Release Body-Cam Footage as Military Group Demands Probe
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has dismissed claims that Lieutenant A.M. Yerima escaped an assassination attempt in Abuja, insisting that no such incident occurred anywhere in the capital.
The police has also released body-camera footage showing its officers’ encounter with the naval officer at a checkpoint.
Reports circulating on Sunday evening alleged that Yerima, who recently engaged in a public confrontation with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, was trailed from a NIPCO filling station in Kubwa by two unmarked Hilux vans believed to be on a sinister mission. Military sources had claimed the officer managed to evade the vehicles after a series of defensive driving manoeuvres.
But in a statement on Monday, FCT Police spokesperson SP Josephine Adeh said the reports were false.
“The attention of the FCT Police Command has been drawn to publications circulating on social media alleging an attempted assassination on Lt. Ahmed Yerima,” Adeh said. “The Command wishes to categorically state that no such incident has been reported or recorded anywhere within the Federal Capital Territory.”
She urged residents to disregard the claims and avoid amplifying unverified information capable of generating panic.
To reinforce its position, the Command released body-cam footage showing the moment officers stopped Lt. Yerima at a checkpoint. In the video, the officer appears unwilling to identify himself when requested. His vehicle’s licence plate was also covered – a detail that has sparked questions about whether he was authorised to drive with a concealed number plate.
Security watchers say hearing directly from Yerima would help clarify the lingering grey areas surrounding his actions and the chain of events that followed.
Military advocacy group insists allegations are serious
Meanwhile, the Beyond Barracks Project (BBP), a prominent advocacy group for military personnel and their families, condemned what it described as an “alleged assassination attempt,” urging security agencies not to dismiss the concerns without a thorough investigation.
In a statement issued in Kaduna, the group’s Executive Director, Mohammed Thompson, said the safety of serving officers must be treated as sacrosanct.
“We strongly condemn any form of intimidation, violence or targeted attack against serving military personnel, especially when such actions threaten the security and morale of those who sacrifice daily for the peace and unity of our nation,” the statement read.
Thompson warned that harming or attempting to silence a member of the armed forces could inflame national tensions and undermine military confidence.
The BBP called for a transparent, multi-agency probe to establish the facts and hold any culprits accountable, regardless of their status or political connection.
