Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has denied reports claiming that he donated a brand-new Toyota SUV to Lieutenant Ahmad Yerima, the naval officer involved in a confrontation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, during an enforcement operation.
The alleged donation was said to have been made under the guise of a “recognition of exemplary service” — a claim the former presidential candidate has firmly denied.
The story, which surfaced on Facebook yesterday, alleged that Atiku rewarded the naval officer following his reported clash with Wike over an alleged land-grabbing incident in Abuja.
In a press release signed by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, on Thursday, Atiku clarified that the story was entirely fabricated and urged the public to disregard it.
According to the statement, “His Excellency Atiku Abubakar did not gift Lt. Ahmad Yerima or any other individual a brand-new Toyota SUV, contrary to the false reports currently circulating on social media. The story is entirely fabricated and should be completely disregarded by the public.”
Media analysts say the episode underscores how quickly viral misinformation can spread by attaching itself to high-profile incidents, in this case, the Yerima-Wike confrontation, and mislead the public when unverified.
They noted that Atiku’s swift rebuttal, alongside fact-checking efforts, reflects a growing push to combat online misinformation.
Meanwhile, the confrontation, which occurred during an enforcement exercise at the Gaduwa District of the FCT, has ignited public debate over the conduct of both the officer and the minister.
While some citizens argue that Yerima was merely carrying out his lawful duties, others insist that the former Rivers State governor may be overstepping his authority in the discharge of his duties as FCT Minister.
There have also been concerns that the naval officer involved in the altercation could face disciplinary action for his interaction with the minister.
However, amid the controversy, the Minister of Defence, Badaru Abubakar, has dismissed claims that the officers involved would be punished for their roles during the operation.
Badaru explained that officers can only be sanctioned if there is clear evidence that they acted outside the scope of their lawful duties.
“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 if he does it well,” the defence minister said.
