Fresh details have emerged from the investigation into the alleged coup plot against President Bola Tinubu’s administration, with security agencies uncovering a cache of arms, ammunition, vehicles and cash allegedly linked to military officers and civilians under investigation.
Findings from an inter-agency probe panel, led by the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lieutenant General Emmanuel Undiandeye, indicate what investigators describe as an elaborate network involving reconnaissance, funding, logistics and propaganda roles.
The suspects – numbering more than 40 according to sources familiar with the probe – were arrested in a covert intelligence operation jointly coordinated by Army Headquarters and the State Security Service (SSS) last year.
According to investigators, weapons recovered from a lieutenant colonel attached to the Army’s 130 Battalion included two gun trucks, anti-aircraft guns, PKT machine guns, RPG bombs, AK-47 rifles, ammunition and tactical gear.
Security sources said the volume and nature of the weapons heightened concerns within the military hierarchy about the scope of the alleged plan.
In addition to the arms and ammunition, investigators reportedly seized four Toyota Hilux trucks, a Toyota Prado SUV, two Toyota saloon cars and 32 Volkswagen Golf vehicles believed to have been procured for covert operations.
One source said the vehicles were used for discreet movement of operatives and reconnaissance missions around strategic locations.
“The cars were used to move operatives around without attracting attention and to conduct reconnaissance activities linked to the plot,” the source said.
Investigators also identified a retired major general, Adamu, as one of the key figures connected to the network. He is said to be among several suspects still at large, alongside three others.
Intelligence sources disclosed that one of the fleeing suspects has been tracked to a country in South America, although his exact location was not revealed for security reasons.
Multiple security agencies, according to Premium Times report, are now said to be working together to dismantle the remaining cells linked to the alleged plot through ongoing surveillance and cross-border intelligence coordination.
Authorities are reportedly awaiting presidential approval to formally announce court-martial proceedings for the military personnel implicated in the case.
Earlier reports indicated that 16 military officers were initially arrested, but the expansion of the investigation under the special panel led to further arrests. Sources said at least 25 military officers and personnel are expected to face trial.
An unspecified number of civilians are also in custody, with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the SSS investigating their alleged roles in financing and logistics.
Alleged funding and targets
Among those named in the investigation is former Bayelsa State governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, who investigators allege may have provided financial support for the plot. He has denied any involvement.
Sources said Sylva allegedly transferred nearly N1 billion in tranches through three accounts operated by a Bureau De Change to support the conspiracy, according to the report.
Investigators believe the plot was originally designed to be executed on 29 May 2023, during the presidential inauguration, but was postponed due to inadequate funds and logistics. The alleged conspirators are said to have reactivated the plan in 2024 after raising additional funds.
According to sources, the alleged plot included plans to assassinate key political figures, including President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
Further findings reportedly showed that the service chiefs and the Commander of the Guards Brigade were also listed as targets. While political leaders were allegedly marked for elimination, some senior military officers were to be detained rather than killed.
Some officers were reportedly assigned roles to seize control of the Presidential Villa, Niger Barracks, the Armed Forces of Nigeria Complex and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
One source said the alleged plan relied on informants within and around the Presidential Villa to monitor the movements of the targeted officials.
“They have people inside who monitor movements. The idea was to strike when all of them were within reach and execute the plan simultaneously,” the source said.
Investigation concluded
On Monday, the Defence Headquarters announced that the investigation had been completed and its findings transmitted to the “appropriate superior authority in line with extant regulations.”
The military stated that the probe identified several officers with allegations of plotting to overthrow the government, describing such conduct as inconsistent with the professional standards of the armed forces.
The suspects were apprehended during a covert intelligence operation coordinated by the Army and the SSS, bringing what began as quiet internal arrests into the realm of a major national security investigation.