AfriPulse
At least sixteen senior officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces have been detained over an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu, according to a report by saharareporters.com
A coup d’état is an overt attempt by a military body or government elites to unseat an incumbent leader or administration.
Although the military authorities recently claimed the officers were being held for “indiscipline” and “repeated failure in promotion examinations,” highly placed sources have revealed to saharareporters that the arrests are connected to a foiled coup attempt.
In a statement issued a few days ago, the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, said the detention of the officers resulted from a “routine military exercise” that uncovered breaches of service regulations.
“Investigations have revealed that their grievances stemmed largely from perceived career stagnation caused by repeated failure in promotion examinations,” Gusau stated.
“Some of the apprehended officers had been under jurisdiction for various offences, either awaiting or undergoing trial. Their conduct was deemed incompatible with the standards of military service.”
However, a senior official of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) told SaharaReporters that the explanation given by the Defence Headquarters was only to “manage the situation,” adding that the officers—led by a Brigadier General—were in fact plotting to “take over power from selfish politicians.”
“The 16 officers were planning a coup. The military authorities were just being diplomatic in their statement,” the source said. “They had started holding secret meetings on how to overthrow the President and other top government officials. They are currently detained at the DIA, and were picked up from different locations across the country.”
According to the source, the group comprised officers ranging from the rank of Captain to Brigadier General, and intelligence gathered by the DIA and other sister agencies helped to foil the plot.
Another insider disclosed that the October 1st Independence Day parade was cancelled because of the coup plan.
“Yes, that was the real reason behind the cancellation of the 65th Independence Day parade,” the source said. “Intelligence reports indicated that the officers intended to execute the coup during the ceremony—possibly by targeting the President and other top officials during the event. Acting on this information, the National Security Adviser and service chiefs advised the government to call off the parade to avert the plot.”
The source added that the subsequent military statement announcing the arrests was intended to prevent public panic and maintain stability within the ranks.
Since Nigeria’s independence in 1960, the country has experie
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