How Colonel-led network planned violent coup against Tinubu govt – investigation

Fresh details have emerged from an interim investigation report into an alleged coup plot against President Bola Tinubu’s administration, revealing a covert, cross-service conspiracy allegedly coordinated by a serving Army Colonel.

The report, obtained on Tuesday, said the Colonel, whose name was withheld, allegedly spearheaded recruitment, funding and operational planning for the plot, drawing in officers from the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force. Investigators traced the origins of his involvement to deep-seated grievances over repeated failures to secure promotion, which reportedly bred resentment and open calls for a change of government.

According to the findings, the group progressed beyond mere dissent into early-stage coup planning, assigning operatives to discreetly monitor strategic national assets, including the Presidential Villa, the Armed Forces Complex, Niger Barracks in Abuja, as well as international airports in Abuja and Lagos.

The plot first came to light in October 2025, when the Defence Headquarters announced the arrest of 16 officers for breaches of military discipline. Media reports later linked the arrests to alleged secret meetings aimed at overthrowing the government and suggested the plot may have contributed to the cancellation of the October 1 Independence Day parade.

At the time, the then Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau (retd.), dismissed the claims as unfounded, insisting the matter was an internal disciplinary issue. He said an investigative panel had been set up and promised that its findings would be made public.

On Monday, the new Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, confirmed that investigations had since been concluded in line with military procedures and the report forwarded to the appropriate authorities.

The interim findings identified the unnamed Colonel as the alleged linchpin of the conspiracy. Investigators said he provided financial inducements, coordinated recruitment and served as the ideological driver of the plot.

Searches on his vehicle reportedly uncovered charms and anti-government materials, while a raid on his residence in Lokogoma, Apo, allegedly yielded highly sensitive documents detailing the allocation of responsibilities among principal actors and outlining how “key national dignitaries” were to be dealt with during the operation.

“Testimonies from several suspects consistently point to the Colonel as the coordinator of the conspiracy,” the report stated, noting that he allegedly funded logistics and encouraged participants by openly lamenting his career stagnation.

The plotters allegedly infiltrated the Presidential Villa and allegedly compromised staff of construction firm Julius Berger to obtain security-related information about the premises.

The Defence Headquarters said personnel indicted in the probe would be arraigned before an appropriate military judicial panel.

Officers reportedly in custody include Brig Gen M. A. Sadiq, Col M. A. Maaji, Lt Col S. Bappah, Lt Col A. A. Hayatu, Lt Col P. Dangnap, Lt Col M. Almakura, Maj A. J. Ibrahim, Maj M. M. Jiddah, Maj M. A. Usman, Maj D. Yusuf, Capt I. Bello, Capt A. A. Yusuf, Lt S. S. Felix, Lt Cdr D. B. Abdullahi, Sqn Ldr S. B. Adamu and Maj I. Dauda. Two other officers – Maj J. M. Ganaks and Capt G. Binuga – are reportedly being awaited.

The report noted that most of the suspects are of northern extraction, with Capt Yusuf from Osun State listed as an exception.

Investigators said the coup was allegedly planned for October 25, 2025, and was intended to be decisive and lethal, with President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, ministers, service chiefs and other senior government officials reportedly marked for elimination.

According to intelligence findings, some officers allegedly received between N2m and N5m as inducements for logistics and mobilisation, while encrypted messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Zangi were used to coordinate activities. Financial trails linked to the plot are reportedly being analysed by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, including the possible involvement of a major financier, said to be a former minister.

Business Hallmark had reported that Timipre Sylva, former governor of Bayelsa State who served as minister of state for petroleum under late President Muhammadu Buhari, was allegedly accused of being a financier of the plot. He has, however, strongly denied the allegations.

One of the suspects, Lt Col Bappah, reportedly turned a key witness, cooperating with investigators and providing details on recruitment, funding flows and communication channels, which security sources say significantly strengthened the case.

The interim report warned that the involvement of senior officers, the cross-service spread of the network and the identification of strategic installations for seizure were clear indicators of deliberate coup-style planning.

While investigations continue and more suspects are being tracked, security agencies said swift action was necessary to dismantle the network, secure sensitive locations and cut off funding sources.

The report concluded that the alleged plot posed an immediate threat.