By Muhammad Mamman
at least 16 senior officers from the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) have been detained in connection with an alleged attempt to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s government. According to insider reports, the suspects include a brigadier-general, a colonel, four lieutenant-colonels, and five majors—drawn from the Army’s Infantry, Signals and Ordnance corps.
The arrests were officially described by military authorities as part of a “routine exercise” linked to “indiscipline and breach of service regulations,” citing frustrations over promotion failures and career stagnation. However, investigative outlets indicate the real issue may be far graver: an alleged plot to seize power from what the conspirators characterised as “selfish politicians.”
Many of the detained are reported to come from Nigeria’s North-Central, North-East and North-West zones and share training credentials from the Same Regular Course at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).
In the wake of this event, President Tinubu has carried out a substantial reshuffle of the nation’s military leadership — appointing new chiefs of staff across the Army, Navy and Air Force — signalling a tightening of control in the security sector.
Observers say the arrests — whether rooted in actual coup-planning or internal military strife — reveal deeper fissures within Nigeria’s armed forces and raise urgent questions about the health of civil-military relations in the country.
