Navy Officer Named Among Detained Soldiers Over Alleged Coup Plot

The Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) has identified a Nigerian Navy officer, Lieutenant Commander B. Abdullahi, among several senior military officers currently detained over an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s government.

Sources within the armed forces confirmed that Abdullahi, who belongs to the 56 Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), was arrested alongside other officers from the Army and Air Force. The arrests reportedly took place in the buildup to the October 1 Independence Day celebrations, following suspicions of a planned coup.

Although the military has officially claimed the detentions were due to repeated failures in promotion exams and frustration over stalled careers, insiders insist the officers were picked up for plotting to stage a coup.

A senior source disclosed that two Air Force personnel — one from Bayelsa and the other from Jigawa — were among those detained, along with Abdullahi from the Navy and several Army officers. The officers have been in custody for over three weeks in an undisclosed facility in Abuja, with families kept in the dark about their whereabouts. Some relatives initially feared they had been abducted.

Earlier reports named Lieutenant Colonel Al-Makura as one of the alleged leaders of the group. The DIA’s investigation has since expanded, with sources revealing that security operatives raided the Abuja residence of former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and ex-Bayelsa State governor, Timipre Sylva.

According to multiple accounts, the raid was conducted by a special military team after intelligence allegedly linked Sylva to secret meetings with some of the detained officers. His brother, identified as Paga, was reportedly arrested during the operation, which also extended to the former governor’s residence in Bayelsa.

Sylva’s media aide, Julius Bokoru, has dismissed the claims of his principal’s involvement in any coup plot. He clarified that Sylva is currently abroad for a medical check-up and professional engagement, adding that his Abuja home was damaged during the raid.

Bokoru further stated that there was no official explanation or authorisation provided for the operation, describing it as an unjustified invasion.

The DIA has yet to release an official update on the progress of the investigation or confirm whether any of the detained officers will face formal charges.