The Nigerian military has confirmed that Lieutenant Commander B. Abdullahi of the Nigerian Navy is among the officers detained by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) over an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu.
SaharaReporters had earlier exposed the arrest of several senior officers—led by an Army Brigadier General—accused of planning to stage a coup during Nigeria’s October 1 Independence Day celebrations.
Although the military initially attributed their detention to “repeated failure in promotion exams and career stagnation,” insiders disclosed the officers were in fact arrested for an attempted coup.
A top military source revealed that the suspects include personnel from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, adding that Abdullahi, who belongs to the 56th Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), was among those held.
The officers have reportedly been in DIA custody for over three weeks at an undisclosed facility in Abuja, under what sources described as “unusual and suspicious conditions.” Families of the detained men said they first believed their loved ones had been kidnapped due to the lack of official communication.
One of the alleged ringleaders, Lieutenant Colonel Al-Makura, had earlier been identified by SaharaReporters.
Meanwhile, the probe has widened to include former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and ex-Bayelsa Governor Timipre Sylva, whose Abuja residence was recently raided by Army personnel investigating the alleged plot.
According to sources, the raid—conducted by a “special military team”—was linked to intelligence reports alleging Sylva held secret meetings with some detained officers. His brother, Paga, was arrested during the operation, which also extended to his Bayelsa home.
Responding through his media aide, Julius Bokoru, Sylva denied fleeing the country, insisting he was abroad for medical and professional reasons. He also condemned the raid, saying his Abuja residence was damaged and that security agents failed to provide any explanation or authorisation for their actions.
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