Assassination attempt on Lt. Yerima demands clarity 

Just days after his highly publicized confrontation with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, Naval Lieutenant A.M. Yerima has become the center of a new storm: an alleged assassination attempt now mired in contradictory accounts from Nigeria's security agencies.

The news of the alleged attempt broke on Sunday evening, detailing how unidentified men, dressed in black and riding in two unmarked Hilux vans without number plates, reportedly trailed the officer. The vehicles allegedly followed him from the NIPCO Filling Station off the Kubwa Expressway to Gado Nasco Way. Information suggests the officer realized he was being trailed and executed a 'strategic maneuver' that allowed him to escape the suspected assailants around 6:30 p.m.

The conflicting responses from key institutions have deepened the confusion. The Minister of Defence, Mohammad Badaru Abubakar, had previously given assurances following the Wike altercation, stating, “We will always protect officers and our armed forces personnel on lawful duty, any officer on lawful duty will be protected if he is doing his job lawfully and doing it well.”

However, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), FCT Command, has directly contradicted the assassination report. The police stated, "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."

Two major security institutions offering directly contradictory accounts of an issue as sensitive as a potential assassination attempt are not only unsettling but also dangerous for a nation already battling volatility and citizens' growing mistrust. Nigerians deserve clarity and Lt. Yerima deserves protection.

The nation deserves leaders who strengthen institutions rather than weaken them through conflicting public narratives. Until the truth behind this incident is established, the shadows surrounding it will continue to fuel the growing perception that Nigeria’s democracy is vulnerable not just to insecurity, but to the misuse of power and official impunity.