The military high command has admitted that some of its officers plotted to unseat President Bola Tinubu, months after initially denying reports of a coup attempt against the administration.
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In a statement issued on Monday, the Director, Defence Information, Major-General Samaila Uba, confirmed that the probe panel investigating the detained officers had submitted its report to the “appropriate superior authority.”
Uba disclosed that the findings identified a number of officers with allegations of plotting to overthrow the government, describing their conduct as “inconsistent with the ethics, values and professional standards required of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN).”
The Director of Defence Information announced that those with cases to answer would be formally arraigned before an appropriate military judicial panel to face trial in accordance with the Armed Forces Act and other applicable service regulations.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria wishes to inform the general public that investigations into the matter have been concluded and the report forwarded to appropriate superior authority in line with extant regulations,” Uba said.
“The comprehensive investigation process, conducted in accordance with established military procedures, has carefully examined all circumstances surrounding the conduct of the affected personnel.”
He explained that making the development public was to ensure accountability while upholding the principles of fairness and due process.
“The Armed Forces remain resolute in maintaining the highest standards of professionalism, loyalty and respect for constitutional authority,” he added.
“The AFN reiterates that measures being taken are purely disciplinary and part of ongoing institutional mechanisms to preserve order, discipline and operational effectiveness within the ranks.”
A highly placed source at the Presidential Villa also confirmed that the military had briefed the president on its investigation.
“They (military authorities) briefed Mr President that it (the attempt to stage a coup) was real. The report clearly showed that there was an attempt by the detained officers to do what the media reported they planned to do,” the source said.
“The Brigadier-General among them was picked because it was discovered that he was aware of the plot but did not report it.”
Another source privy to the investigation said a decision by the president on the report “will allow further actions.”
“Those who were tasked to investigate the involvement of the officers have concluded their job, and they have submitted the report to the president who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces,” the source revealed.
Asked about the content of the report, the source said: “All I can tell you is that the officers were indicted, and they will be sanctioned accordingly when the president gives his nod. Although I don’t also know whether they will be court-martialled for the offence they might have committed, they will face sanctions in line with the military’s standard procedures.”
In October 2025, reports emerged that officers ranging from the rank of Captain to Brigadier-General were arrested and detained by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) for attempting to overthrow President Tinubu’s government.
The Defence Headquarters and the Presidency had, at that time, denied that there was a coup attempt, despite widespread reports linking it to the cancellation of the October 1 Independence Day Parade by President Tinubu.
The military high command, through its former Director, Defence Information, Brigadier-General Tukur Gusau, had, in a statement on October 4, 2025, claimed that 16 officers were arrested over issues that bordered on “indiscipline and breach of service regulations.”
Gusau had said investigations revealed that their grievances stemmed largely from perceived career stagnation caused by repeated failure in promotion examinations, among other issues.
Similarly, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, had dismissed the report of a coup plot against Tinubu’s administration, describing it as unfounded.
“We are going to stick to the narrative of the military because they are the ones constitutionally empowered to secure this country,” Dare had stated.
The detained officers include a Brigadier-General, a Colonel, four Lieutenant Colonels, five Majors, two Captains, a Lieutenant, a Lieutenant Commander from the Navy (the naval equivalent of a Major) and a Squadron Leader from the Air Force.
Checks showed that 12 of the officers belong to the Infantry Corps, the army’s frontline combat unit whose troops primarily engage in ground battles. One officer is from the Signals Corps that manages military communications, while another serves in the Ordnance Corps responsible for procuring, storing and maintaining weapons, ammunition, vehicles and other essential hardware.
Brigadier-General Musa Abubakar Sadiq, with service number N/10321, was born on January 3, 1974. He trained as an NDA cadet between August 14, 1992, and September 20, 1997, and is suspected to be the leader of the alleged coup plot.
As a member of Regular Course 44, Sadiq, an indigene of Nasarawa State, rose through the ranks, becoming a colonel in 2015 and a brigadier four years later. He belongs to the infantry corps.
It was not the first time Sadiq had made headlines for alleged gross misconduct. In October 2024, he was reportedly detained for “alleged diversion of rice palliatives, selling of military equipment, including generator sets and operational vehicles to scrap yards.”
Among other postings, the officer had served as Commander of the 3rd Brigade in Kano and Garrison Commander of the 81 Division of the Army in Lagos.
Other Officers
Colonel M.A. Ma’aji is a Colonel with service number N/10668. Born on March 1, 1976, the Nupe native from Niger State is suspected to have played the role of a key strategist for the alleged coup plot. The 49-year-old officer was the Commanding Officer of the 19 Battalion of the Nigerian Army based in Okitipupa, Ondo State.
Lt. Colonel S. Bappah is a member of the Nigerian Army Signals Corps, with service number N/13036. He hails from Bauchi State and was born on June 21, 1984.
Lt. Colonel A.A. Hayatu, with service number N/13038, hails from Kaduna State. Born on August 13, 1983, he is a member of the infantry corps.
Lt. Colonel Dangnap is from Plateau State. Born on April 1, 1986, the 39-year-old officer was court-martialed in 2015 alongside 29 others for offences related to the fight against Boko Haram.
Lt. Colonel M. Al-Makura is a native of Nasarawa State, born on March 18, 1983. He is an infantry corps officer.
Other detained officers include Major A.J. Ibrahim from Gombe State; Major M.M. Jiddah from Katsina State; Major M.A. Usman from the Federal Capital Territory; Major D. Yusuf from Gombe State; Major I. Dauda from Jigawa State; Captain Ibrahim Bello; Captain A.A. Yusuf; Lieutenant S.S. Felix; Lieutenant Commander D.B. Abdullahi (a naval officer); and Squadron Leader S.B. Adamu from the Air Force.
A former governor from one of the southern states was also said to have been investigated on suspicion that he financed the alleged coup plot.
On October 29, soldiers were reported to have raided former Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva’s Abuja and Yenagoa homes and arrested his brother. His media aide, Julius Bokoru, had described as “sickening” the alleged attempt by “desperate politicians” to link Sylva to the rumoured plot.
Another military source hinted that the health condition of some of the detained officers had deteriorated.
A group, Concerned Pro-Democratic Activists of Nigeria, on Monday appealed to the federal government to take care of the detained officers’ health.
The group’s chairman, Yusuf Musa Dauda, at a press conference in Lafia, Nasarawa State Capital, expressed concerns over reports that some of the officers were seriously ill and that their family members had been denied access to them.
He called on the government to grant the officers proper medical attention, permit communication with their family members and possibly release them if there is no case against them or charge them to court for legal procedures.
“We also learnt about the total denial of family members’ access to see or speak with them since their arrest, to at least know their conditions and alleviate their worries,” Dauda said.
“We are concerned over their prolonged detention without trial or proper legal procedures in a democratic era. We strongly condemn any act of overthrow of government undemocratically, but we urge authorities to look into this matter with fair judgment.”
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, and the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communications, Daniel Bwala, could not be reached for comments as of press time.
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