According to credible security officials, Yarima was trailed by unidentified men dressed in black and riding in two unmarked Hilux vans with no number plates.
The vehicles reportedly followed him from the NIPCO Filling Station off the Line Expressway to Gado Nasco Way.
Realising he was being pursued, the officer executed what sources called a “strategic manoeuvre” that enabled him to evade the alleged assailants. The incident occurred around 6:30 p.m.
Military authorities have opened an investigation into the attempted attack, with sources confirming that the matter is being handled with “the seriousness it deserves.” Further details are currently being withheld to avoid jeopardising the probe.
The development comes only days after Yarima was involved in a heated confrontation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, during a security operation at a disputed land site in Gaduwa District.
A video of the altercation went viral, sparking intense nationwide debate and prompting presidential intervention, which halted the planned demolition at the site.
The clash triggered strong reactions from military veterans across the country, who condemned Wike for verbally attacking the young officer and rejected calls for disciplinary action against him.
Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, spokesman for the Coalition of Retired Veterans, warned that ex-service members were prepared to “occupy the office and residence of the FCT Minister” if any punitive measures were taken against Yarima.
He stressed that members of the armed forces swear allegiance to Nigeria and its Constitution not to individual officeholders and insisted that Wike owed the officer an apology.
“How can a public office holder call an officer ‘a fool’ on camera?” he queried, describing the minister’s action as an affront to national institutions.
Meanwhile, Minister of Defence Mohammad Badaru Abubakar has assured that no military personnel acting within the law would be victimised.
“We will always protect officers and our armed forces personnel on lawful duty,” he said during a briefing ahead of the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day. “Any officer who is doing his job lawfully and doing it well will be protected.”
Veterans had earlier vowed to mobilise en masse and occupy the FCT Ministry if Lt. Yarima faced sanctions following the confrontation.
The attempted attack on Yarima has heightened tensions surrounding the controversy, with security agencies now working to uncover those behind the suspected pursuit.
