Lere Olayinka has criticised the growing online narrative surrounding naval officer Lt. Ahmed Yerima, saying the story being pushed on social media leaves out important details. His reaction came after the Federal Capital Territory Police Command dismissed claims that the officer survived an attempted assassination in Abuja.
Earlier, the police explained that no such incident was reported anywhere in the city. They urged the public to ignore the rumour and avoid spreading information that could cause fear or confusion.
In a post via X, Olayinka, reacting to the situation, argued that the events at the centre of the controversy occurred at a regular police checkpoint. He said the officer was first stopped because he was driving a tinted car without a number plate, which required him to properly identify himself. According to him, the policemen asked the officer to wind down his window, but he initially refused.
He stated that even after eventually lowering the window, the officer still did not identify himself. Instead, he contacted fellow naval personnel and reportedly spoke to the policemen in an unfriendly manner. The officers on duty then waited until his colleagues arrived to confirm who he was before allowing him to leave.
Olayinka questioned how a routine checkpoint procedure could later be presented online as an assassination attempt. He said the claim was misleading and suggested that praise and hype from social media supporters sometimes encourage people to exaggerate ordinary events.
In his words, “At the Police Checkpoint, you were stopped. You were asked to identify yourself, you refused. The Policemen didn’t allow you to go until your colleagues came and identified you. You left and sold the story of escaping assassination.”
Here’s a screenshot of his post.
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