At least sixteen senior officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces have been detained for allegedly plotting to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, according to top military sources who spoke to SaharaReporters.
Although the military publicly claimed the arrests were related to “indiscipline” and “career stagnation,” insiders revealed that the detained officers — ranging from Captain to Brigadier-General — were in fact accused of planning a coup d’état to remove the current government.
In an official statement, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, Director of Defence Information, had described the detentions as part of a “routine military exercise,” insisting that the officers’ grievances stemmed from repeated failures in promotion exams. However, senior officials within the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) told SaharaReporters that the arrests followed intelligence suggesting that a group of officers had begun holding secret meetings aimed at “taking power from selfish politicians.”
“They were planning to overthrow President Tinubu and install a military government,” a source disclosed. “The arrests were made quietly in different parts of the country, and all sixteen officers are currently being detained at the DIA headquarters.”
Another insider revealed that the alleged plot was the reason the government cancelled the Independence Day parade scheduled for October 1, 2025. “Their plan was to launch the coup during the parade by attacking the President and other key politicians. The cancellation was a precautionary move to avert the crisis,” the source said.
Nigeria has experienced five successful military coups since independence in 1960, with the last occurring in 1993. The new development has reignited national concerns about corruption, low morale, and frustration within the armed forces — issues some officers claim have eroded confidence in the military’s leadership and the political system.
