Fresh details have emerged about the Nigerian Army officers currently detained for allegedly plotting a coup d’état against President Bola Tinubu. Sources confirm that the officers are attached to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), headed by Nuhu Ribadu.
According to multiple reports, the detained officers—ranging from the rank of Captain to Brigadier-General—were arrested for allegedly planning to seize power during Nigeria’s Independence Day celebrations on October 1st. A senior Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) official disclosed that the officers had begun holding secret meetings to overthrow the government, citing frustration with “selfish politicians.”
Although the military initially claimed their detention was due to “failure in promotion examinations,” insiders insist it was linked to a thwarted coup attempt. One of the alleged ringleaders, Lieutenant Colonel Al-Makura, who recently returned from a special combat course in China, was reportedly arrested alongside 15 others.
Al-Makura, said to be a nephew of former Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Umaru Al-Makura, was posted to the NSA office a few months ago. His brother, also a Lieutenant Colonel and Commanding Officer of the 343 Artillery Regiment in Elele, was detained briefly but later released after investigations cleared him of involvement.
Sources further revealed that most of the accused officers are from Northern Nigeria and are being held incommunicado at the DIA headquarters in Abuja. The alleged plot was reportedly one of the reasons the Independence Day parade was cancelled this year.
