…Brigadier-General, Others Face Possible Dismissal
…Defence Intelligence Confirms Threat To Democracy
The Nigerian military has confirmed that an alleged coup plot against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration was real, indicting 16 officers following a comprehensive investigation by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), Daily Trust reports .
Credible security and Presidency sources disclosed on Monday that the final report of the probe has been submitted to the President, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and is awaiting approval for disciplinary actions, including possible court-martial.
A senior security source said the indicted officers, who range in rank from Captain to Brigadier-General, were found culpable of actions inconsistent with military discipline and democratic governance.
“The officers have been indicted and will face sanctions once the President gives the nod. Court-martial is one of the options under consideration,” the source said.
A highly placed official at the Presidential Villa also confirmed that President Tinubu was briefed that the alleged coup attempt was genuine.
“They told Mr President that the attempt was real.
The investigation showed that there was a coordinated plan by the detained officers to undermine the government. The Brigadier-General among them was picked because he was aware of the plot but failed to report it,” the source disclosed.
This confirmation contradicts earlier denials by the Defence Headquarters and the Presidency in October 2025, when the arrest of the officers was described as routine disciplinary action linked to indiscipline and breach of service regulations. Government officials had also dismissed reports of a coup plot as unfounded.
The controversy followed the sudden cancellation of the October 1 Independence Day Parade, which fuelled speculation about internal security threats.
Investigations also reportedly extended to a former governor from the southern part of the country over allegations of financing the plot, though no formal indictment has been announced.
On October 29, soldiers were said to have raided the Abuja and Yenagoa residences of former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva, and arrested his brother, a move his aides described as politically motivated.
Meanwhile, concerns have been raised over the health condition of some of the detained officers.
A civil society group, Concerned Pro-Democratic Activists of Nigeria, urged the Federal Government to grant the detainees access to medical care and family members.
Speaking in Lafia, Nasarawa State, the group’s chairman, Yusuf Musa Dauda, said some of the officers were seriously ill and had been held without access to their families.
“We condemn any attempt to overthrow a democratically elected government, but prolonged detention without trial is unacceptable. The authorities should either charge them to court or release them,” Dauda said.
Those indicted include a Brigadier-General, a Colonel, four Lieutenant Colonels, five Majors, two Captains, a Lieutenant, a Navy Lieutenant Commander and an Air Force Squadron Leader.
Most of them belong to the Infantry Corps, while others serve in the Signals and Ordnance Corps, as well as the Navy and Air Force.
The Brigadier-General, Musa Abubakar Sadiq, an infantry officer from Nasarawa State and a member of the 44 Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy, is suspected to be the leader of the alleged plot.
He had previously been accused of misconduct in 2024 over alleged diversion of rice palliatives and sale of military equipment.
Other officers reportedly indicted include Colonel M.A. Ma’aji; Lieutenant Colonels S. Bappah, A.A. Hayatu, M. Al-Makura and Dangnap; Majors A.J. Ibrahim, M.M. Jiddah, M.A. Usman, D. Yusuf and I. Dauda; Captains Ibrahim Bello and A.A. Yusuf; Lieutenant S.S. Felix; Navy Lieutenant Commander D.B. Abdullahi; and Air Force Squadron Leader S.B. Adamu.
Security sources said the final outcome now rests with President Tinubu, whose approval will trigger court-martial proceedings or other sanctions in line with military law.
“The investigation phase is over. What remains is action,” a defence source said.
As of press time, the Presidency had yet to issue an official statement on the report or the fate of the indicted officers.
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