This is a report on a government that is trying its best to fend off aggression from outside, as the American president has branded them not only a disgraced country but has gone on to bomb the counry once, while preparing for another. While insecurity reign supreme, internal disgruntuled forces incuding the military and even actors are planning and executing left right and center actions that will unseat the government,
Is this a sign of a government that is unpopular amonst the people or what?
A reported attempt to overthrow the Nigerian government, foiled in September 2025, included a plan to assassinate senior officials, potentially including President Bola Tinubu, reports the Premium Times. The paper uncovered that the plot began to unravel after an unnamed military officer with direct knowledge of the coup contacted the then-Chief of Army Staff, Olufemi Oluyede.
A discreet joint operation by the Nigerian Army and intelligence agencies reportedly led to the arrest of the alleged principal architects – both military and civilian – across the country. According to the Premium Times, Tinubu was only formally briefed on the plot after initial arrests. The “visibly shaken” president reportedly ordered the immediate cancellation of the October 1 National Independence Day parade after the revelation.
Investigators say the coup plotters planned to assassinate President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
A covert intelligence operation coordinated by the Army Headquarters and the State Security Service (SSS), helped thwart a deadly plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s government and assassinate key political figures, PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively report.
Multiple senior administration insiders said the plot began to unravel in late September 2025 after an unnamed military officer with direct knowledge of the coup contacted the then Chief of Army Staff, Olufemi Oluyede. The officer reportedly disclosed the scheme, saying he feared being implicated as an accessory to treason if he failed to alert authorities.
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Our sources said around the same time, the SSS independently gathered intelligence indicating that some serving army officers were plotting to “destabilise the government and undermine Nigeria’s democracy.” An official familiar with the matter said the Director-General of the SSS, Oluwatosin Ajayi, personally briefed Mr Oluyede on the findings.
Faced with converging intelligence from multiple sources, the two security chiefs agreed to act swiftly. A wide-ranging but discreet joint operation was launched by the army and the SSS, with coordinated arrests planned across different parts of the country to neutralise the coup’s masterminds and other collaborators.
On 30 September 2025, as President Tinubu travelled to Imo State for an official visit, unaware of the plot to depose and possibly assassinate him, the joint operation went into effect. The sweep led to the arrest of the alleged principal architects of the coup, alongside other military and civilian suspects.
The Chief of Defence Intellig”nce (CDI), Emmanuel Undiandeye, and the then Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, were subsequently briefed. Mr Undiandeye was then requested to detain the suspects in the underground holding facility of the Defence Intelligence Agency.
Following the initial arrests, President Tinubu was formally informed of the foiled plot. A visibly shaken president immediately ordered the cancellation of the 1 October National Independence Day parade. He also approved the constitution of a special investigative panel, which later led to additional arrests. The investigative panel was led by General Undiandeye.
One of the detained soldiers later escaped custody but was rearrested by SSS operatives in Bauchi, a military insider said. Meanwhile, a retired officer identified as General Adamu and a former governor, Timipre Sylva, accused of bankrolling the coup plotters, remained at large.
Mr Tinubu later fired and retired the then Chief of Defence Staff, General Musa as well as the chiefs of the navy and airforce. My Oluyede was appointed CDS and promoted to the rank of General. Weeks later, Mr Musa returned to government as minister of defence.
In a statement issued on 4 October, the Defence Headquarters said the arrested officers were being investigate for “indiscipline and breach of service regulations.” It added that preliminary findings suggested the officers’ grievances were linked to “career stagnation and failure in promotion examinations.”
Despite mounting evidence and a series of detailed reports by PREMIUM TIMES and other media outlets, the military repeatedly denied that a coup plot existed. In an 18 October statement the Defence Headquarters described the probe involving the 16 arrested officers as a routine internal investigation aimed at maintaining discipline and professionalism within the armed forces.
However, on 26 January, the military publicly acknowledged for the first time that officers had indeed plotted to illegally overthrow President Tinubu’s administration. It announced that those indictected would be arraigned before a military judicial panel.
According to the Defence Headquarters, the investigation was “comprehensive” and conducted in line with established procedures, examining “all circumstances surrounding the conduct of the affected personnel.”
It said the findings revealed “a number of officers with allegations of “plotting to overthrow the government,” describing such conduct as “inconsistent with the ethics, values and professional standards required of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.”
“Accordingly, those with cases to answer will be formally arraigned before an appropriate military judicial panel to face trial in accordance with the Armed Forces Act and other applicable service regulations,” the statement added.
The plot to oust, kill Tinubu and others
In an earlier report, PREMIUM TIMES quoted sources with direct knowledge of the investigation as identifying top officials allegedly marked for assassination. They include President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.
“There are other people targeted,” one source said. “But those are the key targets.”
The plotters also planned to detain senior military officers, including the service chiefs. “They did not want to kill them,” the source added.
According to the sources, the conspirators intended to assassinate the political leaders simultaneously. “They were waiting for a day when all of them would be in the country,” one official said. “Wherever they were, they would be assassinated.”
The sources said the plotters relied on informants within the Presidential Villa and around the officials slated for elimination.
“They have people inside the Villa who monitor the movements of these officials,” the source said. “The plan was to kill them at the same time and install a military government.”
January 26, 2026
Full names of 16 officers indicted in alleged coup plot in Nigeria
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has released the full list of 16 officers of the Armed Forces of Nigeria who were indicted by a Special Investigative Panel over allegations of serious misconduct, including an alleged plot to overthrow the government of President Bola Tinubu.
The Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, disclosed on Monday that the panel had concluded its investigation and found that several of the officers had cases to answer. He said the affected personnel would now face a military Court Martial in line with established procedures and extant regulations.
Major Gen. Uba said the investigation examined the circumstances surrounding the conduct of the officers and identified actions that were “inconsistent with the ethics, values and professional standards expected of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria,” stressing that the process was purely disciplinary and aimed at preserving internal discipline, cohesion and operational effectiveness.
Below are the full names and ranks of the 16 indicted officers:
List of indicted officers:
- Brigadier General Musa Abubakar Sadiq (Nasarawa, 44th Regular Course)
- Colonel M. A. Ma’aji (Niger, 47th Regular Course)
- Lieutenant Colonel S. Bappah (Bauchi, 56th Regular Course)
- Lieutenant Colonel A. A. Hayatu (Kaduna, 56th Regular Course)
- Lieutenant Colonel Dangnan (Plateau, 56th Regular Course)
- Lieutenant Colonel M. Almakura (Nasarawa, 56th Regular Course)
- Major A. J. Ibrahim (Gombe, 56th Regular Course)
- Major M. M. Jiddah (Katsina, 56th Regular Course)
- Major M. A. Usman (Federal Capital Territory, 60th Regular Course)
- Major D. Yusuf (Gombe, 59th Regular Course)
- Major I. Dauda (Jigawa, DSSC 38)
- Captain I. Bello (DSSC 43)
- Captain A. A. Yusuf
- Lieutenant S. S. Felix (DSSC)
- Lieutenant Commander D. B. Abdullahi (Nigerian Navy)
- Squadron Leader S. B. Adamu (Nigerian Air Force)
Most of the officers are drawn from the Infantry, Signals and Ordnance Corps of the Armed Forces.
Background
In October 2025, rumours of an alleged coup plot against President Tinubu’s administration spread via social media but the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) dismissed the stories as ‘false and misleading.’
Vanguard reported that the DHQ urged the public to disregard the misinformation being circulated by purveyors of falsehoods and enemies of the nation.
Following the development, President Tinubu reshuffled the leadership of Nigeria’s Armed Forces.
A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare read: “President Bola Tinubu has made changes in the hierarchy of the Service Chiefs in furtherance of the efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria to strengthen the national security architecture.”
Also read
- How disgruntled colonel built secret military network in failed coup plot against Tinubu
- Nigerian newspapers review: [Coup] 16 indicted officers to face court-martial – DHQ
- Coup: 16 indicted officers to face court-martial — DHQ
Under the new appointment, General Olufemi Oluyede replaced General Christopher Musa as Chief of Defence Staff, while Major-General W. Shaibu became the Chief of Army Staff.
Also, Air Vice Marshal S.K. Aneke took over as Chief of Air Staff, while Rear Admiral I. Abbas assumed office as Chief of Naval Staff.
Only the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major-General E.A.P. Undiendeye, retained his position.
