Fresh details have emerged surrounding the alleged coup plot against the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with credible sources indicating that at least 35 Nigerian military personnel are currently being detained, contradicting the Defence Headquarters’ official position that only 16 officers are under investigation.
According to information obtained by SaharaReporters, the number of officers in custody far exceeds the figure publicly acknowledged by the military authorities, raising concerns over transparency, due process and the true scope of the ongoing investigation.
On Monday, the Defence Headquarters reiterated that 16 officers were arrested and are being investigated for acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations, including allegations related to plotting to overthrow the government. The military authorities also stated that the officers would be arraigned before military judicial panels upon the conclusion of investigations.
The clarification was contained in a statement titled “Update on Disciplinary Cases Involving Sixteen Officers Investigated for Indiscipline, Breach of Service Regulations,” signed by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba.
“It would be recalled that the Defence Headquarters issued a press statement in October 2025 regarding the arrest of sixteen officers over acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations,” the statement read, reaffirming the military’s earlier position.
However, multiple top military sources familiar with the matter told SaharaReporters that a total of 35 military personnel, drawn from the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force, as well as an operative of a paramilitary organisation, are currently in detention over the alleged coup plot.
According to the sources, those being held include a wide range of senior and mid-level officers across different services. Among them are one Brigadier General of the Nigerian Army, two Colonels, five Lieutenant Colonels, one Wing Commander of the Nigerian Air Force, eight Majors, one Lieutenant Commander of the Nigerian Navy, two Squadron Leaders, five Captains and one Lieutenant.
In addition to the commissioned officers, at least 10 non-commissioned officers are reportedly in custody. These include a Warrant Officer, five Sergeants, one Corporal and two Lance Corporals.
The sources further disclosed that while the majority of the detained officers are from the northern part of the country, including the Federal Capital Territory, there are also officers from the southern states among those being held.
One of the detained officers identified as a southerner is an Army Captain, A. Yusuf, who is reportedly from Osun State. Another is Squadron Leader Zuzu, a senior Air Force officer from Bayelsa State. According to the sources, the remaining 33 officers are largely from the northern region.
“The Defence Headquarters keeps deceiving Nigerians,” one of the sources alleged. “The total number of officers under detention is 35 across the Army, Navy and Air Force. Why release a statement again claiming 16?”
The source described the situation as troubling and accused the military authorities of deliberately concealing the full extent of the arrests.
“It’s glaring that the military authorities are hiding something. We even learnt that some of the arrested officers were forced to admit to the crime under duress, just to suit the report they intend to submit to the President,” the source claimed.
Another source added that some of the detained officers were invited back into the country from overseas postings or training programmes before being arrested.
“I also want you to know that some of these military officers were invited from outside Nigeria where they were undergoing different courses,” the source said, suggesting a coordinated effort to apprehend those suspected of involvement.
Efforts to obtain further clarification from the Defence Headquarters proved unsuccessful. Multiple calls placed to Major General Samaila Uba were not answered, and a WhatsApp message sent to his line had not been replied to as of the time of filing this report.
The controversy dates back to October 2025, when SaharaReporters exclusively reported that several military officers had been arrested by operatives of the Defence Intelligence Agency in Abuja over an alleged plot to overthrow President Tinubu’s government.
The Defence Intelligence Agency, established in 1986, is Nigeria’s primary military intelligence body. It is tasked with gathering and analysing intelligence for the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence, particularly in relation to threats to national security, insurgency, terrorism and internal subversion.
At the time, top military sources disclosed the identities and departments of some of the senior officers allegedly detained in connection with the suspected plot. SaharaReporters also reported that a senior Nigerian Navy officer, Lieutenant Commander B. Abdullahi, was among those held.
Sources at the Defence Headquarters confirmed that the officers were arrested in coordinated operations across different locations following weeks of covert surveillance by military intelligence operatives.
Despite these disclosures, the Defence Headquarters initially denied that the arrests were connected to any coup plot, insisting that the detained officers were being investigated solely for breaches of military discipline and service regulations.
However, the narrative appears to have shifted. In its most recent statement, the Defence Headquarters formally acknowledged that allegations of plotting to overthrow the government were among the issues being investigated against some of the officers, marking a significant departure from its earlier position.
Concerns over the welfare of the detained officers have also intensified. On January 23, 2026, SaharaReporters reported that at least five of the officers had fallen ill while in detention, with two reportedly collapsing due to deteriorating health conditions.
According to sources, the officers were allegedly moved from an initial Defence Intelligence Agency detention facility to an underground military cell in Abuja, described as dark, poorly ventilated and unsuitable for prolonged detention.
Families of the detained officers have repeatedly raised alarm over what they described as inhumane treatment, prolonged incommunicado detention and denial of access to legal representation.
Some spouses told SaharaReporters that they were not informed when their loved ones were transferred between detention facilities and that they had been barred from visiting them since the arrests.
The case has also attracted political attention following reports that military operatives raided the Maitama residence of a former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, as part of the investigation.
Sylva later confirmed that security operatives visited his residence but firmly denied any involvement in the alleged coup plot. He described attempts to link him to the matter as politically motivated and baseless.
The unfolding situation has raised serious questions about civil-military relations, due process within the armed forces and the handling of sensitive national security investigations. While the Defence Headquarters insists that due procedures are being followed, the growing gap between official statements and accounts from internal sources continues to fuel public concern.
As investigations continue, observers say clarity, transparency and adherence to the rule of law will be critical in maintaining public confidence in the military institution and in safeguarding Nigeria’s democratic order.
