New information has emerged disclosing the identities of no fewer than sixteen Nigerian military officers currently being held over an alleged plan to overthrow the government.
According to credible military sources, fourteen of those detained are from the Nigerian Army, while the remaining two are officers of the Navy and the Air Force.
The group reportedly includes a brigadier general, a colonel, four lieutenant colonels, five majors, two captains, and one lieutenant.
The detained naval and air force personnel are said to hold the ranks of Lieutenant Commander and Squadron Leader, respectively, which are both equivalent to the rank of Major in the Army.
Further investigations reveal that twelve of the Army officers belong to the Infantry Corps, regarded as the military’s main combat division. One officer serves in the Signals Corps, responsible for communication systems, while another is attached to the Ordnance Corps, in charge of managing and maintaining weapons and equipment.
Most of the Army officers are reportedly members of the 56 Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), where they trained between 2004 and 2008.
Six of the officers — four lieutenant colonels and two majors — are said to have been the first group arrested. The rest are drawn from the NDA’s 44th, 47th, 59th, and 60th Regular Courses, along with the 38th and 43rd Short Service Commission Courses.
The course affiliations of two of the officers, as well as those of the naval and air force personnel, have not yet been verified.
According to Politics Nigeria, insiders also disclosed that fifteen out of the sixteen detained officers are from Nigeria’s North-Central, North-East, and North-West regions, while the only one from the South-West is the most junior among them — a lieutenant.
Military sources stated that the alleged coup, which was thwarted in late September, involved a plan to assassinate key 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 explicitly confirmed the coup attempt, it explained that the investigation of the officers forms part of “routine internal disciplinary measures to uphold professionalism within the ranks.”
Weeks after the supposed plot was uncovered, President Tinubu implemented a major reshuffle of the military high command.
He replaced the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, with General Olufemi Oluyede. Major General Waidi Shaibu was appointed as the new Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke became the Chief of Air Staff, and Rear Admiral Idi Abbas assumed the position of Chief of Naval Staff.
Major General Emmanuel Undiendeye, the Chief of Defence Intelligence, was the only senior officer who retained his post. However, the presidency did not publicly link the reshuffle to the alleged coup plot.
Security insiders revealed that while sixteen officers were initially detained, the number of suspects has reportedly risen as investigations continue.
The arrests were said to have been carried out quietly, with some officers taken from their official duty stations and others picked up from their homes.
In a related development, the military allegedly 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, refuted any association with the alleged coup plot, clarifying that his principal was abroad on medical and official duties at the time of the incident.
