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Fresh details have surfaced revealing the identities of at least 16 Nigerian military officers currently in detention over an alleged plot to topple the government.
According to reliable military sources, fourteen of the detained officers belong to the Nigerian Army, while the remaining two are from the Navy and the Air Force.
The group comprises a brigadier general, a colonel, four lieutenant colonels, five majors, two captains, and one lieutenant.
The detained naval and air force officers reportedly hold the ranks of Lieutenant Commander and Squadron Leader, respectivel, both equivalent to the rank of Major in the Army.
Further findings indicate that 12 of the Army officers are from the Infantry Corps, the military’s primary combat arm. One officer serves in the Signals Corps, which manages communications, while another is attached to the Ordnance Corps, responsible for the upkeep and management of weapons and equipment.
Most of the Army officers are reportedly members of the 56 Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), trained between 2004 and 2008.
Six of them, four lieutenant colonels and two majors are said to be among the first group arrested. Others are drawn from NDA’s 44th, 47th, 59th, and 60th Regular Courses, as well as the 38th and 43rd Short Service Commission Courses.
The course affiliations of two officers and those of the naval and air force personnel remain unconfirmed.
According to politics Nigeria, insiders also revealed that 15 of the 16 detained officers hail from Nigeria’s North-central, North-east, and North-west regions, while the only officer from the South-west is the most junior among them, a lieutenant.
Military sources said the alleged plot, which was foiled in late September, involved plans to assassinate top government officials, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
Although the Defence Headquarters has not directly confirmed the coup attempt, it stated that the probe of the officers is part of “routine internal disciplinary measures to uphold professionalism within the ranks.”
Weeks after the reported plot was uncovered, President Tinubu carried out a sweeping reorganization of the military high command.
He replaced the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, with General Olufemi Oluyede. Major General Waidi Shaibu became the new Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke was appointed Chief of Air Staff, while Rear Admiral Idi Abbas took charge as Chief of Naval Staff.
Major General Emmanuel Undiendeye, the Chief of Defence Intelligence, was the only top officer retained. The presidency, however, did not publicly connect the changes to the alleged coup plot.
Security insiders disclosed that while 16 officers were initially picked up, the number of suspects has since increased as investigations deepen.
The arrests were said to have been conducted discreetly, with some officers taken into custody from their duty posts and others from their homes.
In a related twist, the military reportedly raided the Abuja residence of former Bayelsa State governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, arresting his brother and personal aide.
However, Sylva’s media aide, Julius Bokoru, denied any connection to the alleged plot, confirming that his principal was abroad on medical and official engagements when the incident occurred.
Alleged coup plot: Fresh details emerge as sixteen military officers are detained
