Military investigators probing an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu are currently holding a Managing Director of a Federal Government agency in the South South region for questioning.
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Two intelligence sources confirmed that the MD was arrested over allegations that he transferred a substantial sum of money to former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, who has been identified as one of the suspected financiers of the alleged coup. Investigators reportedly believe the funds may have been intended to support the plot. The MD, whose name has not been disclosed, is presently being interrogated regarding the transfer and its possible connection to the coup.
Sylva, a former Bayelsa State governor and senior All Progressives Congress (APC) figure, was said to be abroad at the time of the operation. Investigators raided his Abuja residence on Saturday, arresting his younger brother, Paga, who serves as Sylva’s Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs, along with his driver. Sources indicate that Sylva initially planned to return to Nigeria but postponed his trip after learning that military officers allegedly linked to the plot had been detained.
Efforts to reach the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj-Gen Markus Kangye, and the Director of Defence Information, Brig-Gen Tukur Gusau, were unsuccessful, as calls to their offices went unanswered. On October 4, Gusau had stated that 16 military officers were detained over indiscipline and breaches of service regulations, citing grievances linked to perceived career stagnation and repeated failures in promotion exams.
However, reports from SaharaReporters claimed the detained officers, ranging from Captain to Brigadier General, were allegedly involved in plotting to overthrow the government. The outlet further suggested that the officers were apprehended in their homes nationwide and had begun holding secret meetings targeting the President and senior government officials.
Social media reports on Tuesday alleged that a Nigerian Army special team had stormed Sylva’s Abuja residence following intelligence linking him to the detained officers. Sources described the operation as targeted rather than random, claiming the raid followed “credible intelligence linking certain political figures to the alleged plotters.”
The 16 officers have reportedly been held incommunicado for more than three weeks at an undisclosed facility in Abuja. Families initially feared their relatives had been kidnapped due to a lack of official communication. “It’s been 18 days since those 16 officers were detained. At first, we thought our brother was kidnapped before learning what transpired from a friend who works in the NSA office,” one source said.
A retired senior military officer questioned the selectivity of the arrests, asking: “If the military were truly conducting a disciplinary operation, over 10,000 cases could emerge. Why only 16 officers, and why hand them to the DIA? This smells of politics. There’s clearly more going on behind the scenes.”
The Defence Headquarters and Army Headquarters have so far remained silent on the reports, with no official statement issued regarding the operation or the investigation into the alleged coup plot.
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