Security forces arrest 38 suspects over foiled coup plot against Tinubu

Nigerian security agencies have arrested no fewer than 38 individuals, including senior military officers, a police officer and civilians, in connection with a foiled coup plot allegedly aimed at overthrowing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

Investigations by intelligence and security sources indicate that the conspiracy, uncovered in September 2025, involved plans to violently seize power and assassinate top government officials in what officials describe as one of the most serious threats to Nigeria’s democratic order in decades.

According to findings and corroborated by multiple security sources, the suspects include high-ranking officers across the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force, as well as civilians allegedly involved in reconnaissance, funding and propaganda operations.

Security sources said the plot first came to light in September 2025 following intelligence reports received by the Army Headquarters and the Department of State Services (DSS).

A serving military officer, alarmed by the alleged conspiracy, reportedly alerted senior commanders, citing moral and legal concerns if the plan was allowed to proceed.

Around the same time, the DSS independently detected unusual movements and communications suggesting that some serving military officers were planning to destabilise the government and undermine Nigeria’s democratic system.

With corroborating intelligence from multiple sources, the military and DSS launched a discreet joint operation aimed at neutralising the threat before it could be executed.

In the early hours of September 30, 2025, coordinated arrests were carried out across several locations nationwide, targeting suspected planners and collaborators.

It was learnt that the alleged conspiracy went beyond discontent within the ranks of the armed forces.

Security sources said some of the suspects planned not only to remove Tinubu from office but also to assassinate key national figures.

Those reportedly marked as targets included Kashim Shettima, Vice President, Godswill Akpabio, Senate President and Tajudeen Abbas. Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The plotters were also alleged to have planned the detention of senior service chiefs to limit resistance once the operation commenced.

Sources further claimed that informants had been embedded in sensitive locations, including areas around the Presidential Villa, to monitor the movements of officials identified for elimination.

Following the initial arrests, Tinubu was briefed on the development. In what was seen as a rare indication of the seriousness of the situation, the Federal Government cancelled the October 1, 2025 Independence Day parade, a major departure from long-standing national tradition.

A special investigative panel led by the Chief of Defence Intelligence was subsequently constituted to probe the matter further.

However, amid growing media reports at the time, the Defence Headquarters initially downplayed the incident, describing the arrests as routine disciplinary actions related to breaches of service regulations, including issues of arms procurement and insubordination.

This official stance left the public largely unaware of the scale and gravity of the alleged coup plot for several months.

While independent reports suggested that as many as 35 military personnel were being held, including 33 officers reportedly from northern Nigeria and an operative of a paramilitary organisation, the Nigerian Army officially acknowledged the detention of 16 officers.

Those formally detained were drawn from the Army, Navy and Air Force, many of them serving in frontline combat and operational units such as the infantry.

For months after the arrests, the military maintained that no coup attempt had occurred.

However, in January 2026, the Defence Headquarters reversed its earlier position.

Samaila Uba, Director of Defence Information, confirmed that investigations had been concluded and that evidence had been established against several officers for attempting to overthrow the government.

He said those implicated would be arraigned before a military judicial panel in line with the Armed Forces Act, marking a significant step towards accountability within the military.

Under Nigerian military law, serving officers accused of treason, mutiny or attempts to subvert constitutional order are typically tried by court-martial.

Legal experts note that suspects whose alleged actions extend beyond service offences may also face prosecution in civilian courts.

See full list of persons arrested, according to sources

MA Sadiq (Brigadier General) Army Headquarters Garrison

MA Ma’aji (Colonel) Defence Space Administration

S Bappah (Lt. Colonel) 525 Signal Regiment

AA Hayatu (Lt Colonel) 130 Battalion Main, Ogoja, Cross River State

P Dangnap (Lt Colonel) 134 Special Force Battalion

M Almakura (Lt Colonel) 197 Special
Force Battalion

Security forces arrest 38 suspects over foiled coup plot against Tinubu

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