EXPOSED: Again, 35 Military Officers Detained Over Alleged Coup Plot Against Tinubu Government

No fewer than 35 Nigerian military officers are currently being detained over an alleged plot to overthrow the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, according to senior military sources.

This figure contradicts an official statement released on Monday by the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), which claimed that only 16 officers were under investigation for acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations.

In the statement titled “Update on Disciplinary Cases Involving Sixteen Officers Investigated for Indiscipline, Breach of Service Regulations,” the DHQ said the officers would be arraigned before military judicial panels. The statement was signed by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba.

However, sources familiar with the matter told SaharaReporters that a total of 35 military personnel, drawn from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, are currently in detention in connection with the alleged coup plot. According to the sources, those detained include 33 officers from the northern part of the country, including the Federal Capital Territory, and one operative of a paramilitary organisation.

Ranks of Detained Officers

The detained personnel reportedly include:
1 Brigadier General
2 Colonels
5 Lieutenant Colonels
1 Wing Commander (Air Force equivalent of Lieutenant Colonel)
8 Majors
1 Lieutenant Commander (Navy equivalent of Major)
2 Squadron Leaders (Air Force equivalent of Major)
5 Captains
1 Lieutenant

Also in custody are 10 non-commissioned officers (NCOs), including a Warrant Officer, five Sergeants, one Corporal, and two Lance Corporals.

Sources disclosed that one of the detained Army Captains, A. Yusuf, is from Osun State, while Squadron Leader Zuzu, an Air Force officer from Bayelsa State, is also among those held. The remaining officers are reportedly from northern states.

Allegations of Cover-Up and Coercion

One military source accused the Defence Headquarters of misleading the public about the scale of the arrests.

“The Defence Headquarters keeps deceiving Nigerians. The total number of officers under detention is 35 across the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Why keep claiming only 16?” the source said.

The source further alleged that some officers were forced to confess under duress to support a report allegedly being prepared for submission to the President. It was also revealed that some of the detained officers were invited back to Nigeria from overseas, where they had been attending military courses, before being arrested.

Efforts to reach Major General Uba for comment were unsuccessful, as calls and WhatsApp messages sent to his line were neither picked nor returned as of the time of filing this report.

Background and Detention Conditions

In October 2025, Naija News House exclusively reported that several military officers were arrested by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) in Abuja over an alleged coup plot against President Tinubu’s government.

The DIA, established in 1986, is Nigeria’s primary military intelligence agency.
At the time, the Defence Headquarters denied that the arrests were related to any coup plot.

However, subsequent investigations reportedly confirmed that officers from all three services were detained following weeks of covert surveillance.

Reports also indicate that at least five detained officers fell ill in custody, with two reportedly collapsing due to deteriorating conditions.

Sources claim the officers were transferred from an initial DIA facility to an underground detention cell in Abuja, described as dark and poorly ventilated.
Families of the detainees have raised concerns over inhumane treatment, prolonged incommunicado detention, and denial of access to lawyers and relatives.

Some spouses said they were not informed of transfers between detention facilities and have been barred from visits since the arrests.

Political Dimension

The case has drawn political attention following reports that military operatives raided the Maitama residence of former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, as part of the investigation. Sylva later confirmed the visit but denied any involvement, describing the allegations as politically motivated.

Despite earlier denials, the DHQ’s latest statement formally acknowledges that allegations of plotting to overthrow the government were among the findings against some of the detained officers.