Rights Group Decries Alleged Assassination Attempt on Naval Officer, Warns of Threat to National Stability

|By Chinwendu Nwani

The Beyond Barracks Project (BBP), an organisation advocating for the rights and welfare of military families, has condemned the alleged assassination attempt on Lieutenant Yerima, the Naval officer recently involved in a heated public confrontation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

In a statement issued Monday in Kaduna, BBP’s Executive Director, Mohammed Thompson, said the group was “deeply disturbed” by reports that the officer came under threat shortly after the widely publicised incident.

Thompson warned that any move to intimidate or harm a serving Armed Forces member “constitutes a direct challenge to Nigeria’s sovereignty,” stressing that such actions could heighten national tension and weaken military morale.

“We condemn, in the strongest terms, any act of violence, intimidation, or targeted harassment against serving military personnel,” the statement read. “These officers risk their lives daily for the peace and unity of our country, and any attack on them is an attack on the nation.”

The group urged security agencies to launch a comprehensive and transparent investigation to uncover those behind the alleged plot and ensure that prosecutions follow—regardless of rank, influence, or political connections.

“No individual is above the law,” Thompson insisted. “Failure to act decisively could trigger unnecessary unrest and further erode public confidence in the Armed Forces.”

BBP noted that the development had generated unease within military circles and called for swift intervention to prevent escalation. The organisation reaffirmed its support for Lieutenant Yerima and vowed to continue defending the welfare and safety of Nigerian military families.