By Abiola Olawale
New details have surfaced regarding the identity and background of some of the military officers currently detained in connection with an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government.
The revelations come amid a recent, sweeping overhaul of the nation’s military hierarchy by Tinubu.
While the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has officially maintained that the detention of officers is a result of “routine internal disciplinary actions” and breaches of service regulations, insider sources continue to link the arrests to a foiled coup plot that allegedly aimed to disrupt the country.
Media reports emerging on Thursday revealed that sources close to the ongoing investigation have provided a clearer picture of the officers involved, shedding light on their ranks and corps affiliation.
According to sources familiar with the matter, fourteen of the 16 arrested officials are reportedly from the Nigerian Army, while the remaining two belong to the Navy and the Air Force.
According to reports, the detained officers span a wide range of seniority, from junior to very senior ranks.
The highest-ranking officer allegedly involved in the coup plot is said to be aBrigadier General.
Among the ranking of the other officers are a colonel, four lieutenant colonels, five majors, two captains, and a lieutenant. The two others include a Lieutenant Commander from the Navy (the naval equivalent of a Major in the Army) and a Squadron Leader from the Air Force (also equivalent to a Major).
Reports also revealed that a substantial number of the Army suspects reportedly belong to the Nigerian Defence Academy’s 56 Regular Course.
The remaining Army officers are reportedly drawn from other NDA courses, including the 44th, 47th, 59th, and 60th Regular Courses, as well as Short Service Commission Courses 38 and 43. The course affiliations of two Army officers, along with those of the naval and air force personnel, could not be immediately confirmed.
A source quoted by media reports said: “So far, all the culprits involved in the coup, including a Brigadier General, Colonels, Lieutenant Colonels, and a Captain, have made confessional statements on their roles and how they were ‘conscripted’ into the game.”
The report also gave details of how operatives from the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), working in collaboration with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), tracked and uncovered the huge amount of money meant to sponsor the alleged aborted coup in the accounts of the former Bayelsa State governor, Timipre Sylva.
The secret service was said to have gone after the former Petroleum Minister (State), who has been on its wanted list for some time over his alleged role in the aborted coup plot.
Sylva, who is outside the country, is said to be the main financier of the aborted coup to topple the government of President Bola Tinubu.
But the former governor denied his involvement in the coup plot. Mr Sylva, through his spokesperson, Julius Bokoru, said he was traveling in the UK for a medical checkup, with a plan to proceed to Malaysia for a conference.
Saying “individuals believed to be operatives of the Defence Headquarters” raided his principal’s house, Mr Bokoru, said no reason was given for the action.
Mr Sylva’s spokesperson said his principal “has no involvement whatsoever—either in planning or in logistics—with any such plot.”
