The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has dismissed claims of an assassination attempt on Naval Lieutenant A.M. Yerima, describing reports circulated on social media as “false and grossly misleading.”
In a statement on Monday, signed by the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, the police explained that a patrol team conducting a routine stop-and-search at NNPC Junction along Kubwa Expressway intercepted an ash-coloured Toyota Camry with a concealed number plate and fully tinted windows. The driver, later identified as Lt. Yerima, initially refused to wind down his windows or provide identification.
“The attention of FCT Police Command has been drawn to publications alleging an attempted assassination on Lt. Ahmed Yerima at NNPC Junction in Kubwa area of the FCT. These publications are false and grossly misleading,” the statement read.
According to the police, three naval personnel later arrived at the scene, cordially identifying the occupant as their colleague, recording video and photo evidence before leaving. The police patrol then allowed the vehicle to proceed, and operations continued peacefully.
The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Miller Dantawaye, urged residents and visitors to cooperate with police officers while warning against the spread of unverified news capable of causing fear and apprehension.
Meanwhile, Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, alleged that Lt. Yerima fabricated the assassination claim. He said the officer was stopped at a police checkpoint due to his tinted, unplated vehicle and refusal to identify himself. Olayinka added that Yerima insulted officers while calling other naval personnel to his aid before eventually being cleared to leave.
“You were driving a car without a plate number. The car was tinted. At the police checkpoint, you were stopped and asked to identify yourself; you refused. You called other Naval Officers and insulted the policemen on duty. After they confirmed your identity, you left and sold the story of escaping assassination,” Olayinka stated.
He further suggested that Yerima’s exaggeration may have been influenced by the recent social media attention he has received over a prior confrontation with the FCT Minister regarding a land dispute in Gaduwa, Abuja.
The FCT Police Command’s clarification comes amid a flurry of online speculation, emphasizing that the incident was a routine security check rather than a targeted attack.