SaharaReporters can exclusively reveal that the Nigerian Army officers currently detained for allegedly planning a coup d’état against President Bola Tinubu are assigned to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). The office is led by Nuhu Ribadu, a lawyer and retired police officer serving as National Security Adviser (NSA) to President Tinubu.
The detained officers, whose ranks range from Captain to Brigadier General, are mostly Northerners and staff members of ONSA—an outfit composed of personnel drawn from Nigeria’s intelligence agencies, armed forces, law enforcement, and paramilitary units.
The arrests followed an intelligence operation by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and allied agencies, which uncovered a plot to overthrow the government during the October 1st Independence Day celebrations, leading to the cancellation of the national parade.
A senior DIA official told SaharaReporters, “The 16 officers were planning a coup. They had already begun secret meetings to strategize the takeover of government from selfish politicians.” According to sources, the officers were apprehended separately at their homes nationwide and are currently held in DIA custody.
A key figure among the accused is Lieutenant Colonel Al-Makura, recently returned from a special combat course in China. He is a nephew of Tanko Umaru Al-Makura, former Governor of Nasarawa State and current Board Chairman of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).
“There are two Lieutenant Colonel Al-Makuras who are brothers. One commands the 343 Artillery Regiment in Elele but was briefly detained and released after investigations cleared him of involvement,” the intelligence official explained. “The other, freshly posted to the NSA’s office, is seen as the ringleader—a respected infantry officer with strong ties in Maiduguri, Borno State.”
The source lamented that many of the younger officers involved were misguided into the plot and noted that none of the detainees currently have contact with family members.
The Nigerian military’s earlier statement attributing the detentions to “repeated failure in promotion examinations and perceived career stagnation” was described by insiders as a diplomatic cover to shield the sensitive nature of the ongoing investigations.
