Reports that a Nigerian Navy officer, Lt. Ahmed Yerima, who had a face-off with the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, was almost assassinated have been dismissed by the police.
The Federal Capital Territory Police Command said the claims were false and unverified.
The development comes after online media platforms and social media reports claimed that Yerima was followed by unidentified men dressed in two unmarked Hilux vans without number plates in Abuja.
The reports said that Yerima was able to evade the assailants after a chase which began around 6:30 p.m. at the NIPCO filling station along the Kubwa Expressway and continued to Gado Nasco Way.
Netizens and members of the public linked the reports to Yerima’s recent clash with Nyesom Wike over a disputed land allocation in Abuja.
Speaking in a statement on Sunday night, the command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, stated that no such incident was reported within the FCT.
“The attention of the FCT Police Command has been drawn to publications circulating on social media alleging an attempted assassination on Lt. Ahmed Yerima.
“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,” Adeh said.