Sixteen Nigerian Military Officers Detained Over Alleged Coup Plot to Oust President Tinubu

In a significant security development, at least sixteen senior officers of the Nigerian military, ranging in rank from Captain to Brigadier General, have been detained by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) on allegations of planning a coup d’état aimed at overthrowing President Bola Tinubu. The arrests, coordinated across multiple locations nationwide, are said to have prevented a major threat to the current civilian government.

The Nigerian military initially issued an official statement describing the detentions as part of a routine disciplinary exercise addressing issues of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations. Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, Director of Defence Information, disclosed that investigations revealed the detained officers’ grievances were largely tied to perceived career stagnation due to repeated failures in promotion examinations. According to the official spokeperson, some officers were also under disciplinary jurisdiction for various offences, contributing to their detention.

However, insider sources within the Defence Intelligence Agency provided SaharaReporters and other media outlets with a contrasting narrative, revealing that the primary reason for the arrests was a foiled coup plot. According to a senior DIA official involved in the operation, the officers, led by an Army Brigadier General, had been conducting secret meetings and organizing a plan to violently seize control of the federal government. The intended timeline for the coup was set for Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day celebrations on October 1, during the national parade — an event subsequently cancelled to avert potential violence.

“The 16 officers were planning a coup. The military authorities were just being diplomatic in the statement released by the spokesperson,” the source explained. “They planned to shoot at the President and other top politicians during the parade as a means of toppling the Tinubu administration and establishing a military government.”

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The intelligence operation that dismantled the coup attempt was led by the DIA in collaboration with sister security agencies. The officers were apprehended recently from their various residences across the country and remain in detention. The cancellation of the Independence Day parade, an unprecedented move, was reportedly based on intelligence reports about the planned violent takeover.

The development underscores ongoing concerns within Nigeria’s security apparatus about factional discontent and potential threats to democratic governance from within the military ranks. The government has maintained a stance of calm, releasing measured statements seeking to “douse tension” and uphold public confidence in national stability.

As investigations continue, the implications of the arrests and the motives behind the alleged plot remain closely watched by political analysts and the public alike, raising critical questions about cohesion within Nigeria’s armed forces and the resilience of the country’s democracy .