An interim investigation report into the alleged coup plot against President Bola Tinubu’s government has revealed that a clandestine network of military officers coordinated by an Army Colonel (name withheld) had planned the takeover, with funding, recruitment, and operational planning traced directly to him.

The report, sighted by The PUNCH on Tuesday, indicated that the Army officer, whose repeated failures in promotion reportedly fuelled his disaffection, mobilised like-minded officers across the Army, Navy, and Air Force, assigning them to survey critical national installations, including the Presidential Villa, major barracks, and international airports.

In October 2025, the DHQ announced the arrest of 16 officers over acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations.

Shortly after, Sahara Reporters reported that the officers — ranging from the rank of Captain to Brigadier General — were arrested by the Defence Intelligence Agency for holding secret meetings to topple the government, and linked the alleged plot to the cancellation of the October 1 Independence Day parade.

At the time, the then Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau (retd.), dismissed the report as an attempt to create tension and distrust, stating that the matter was a purely internal disciplinary issue.

He said an investigative panel had been constituted and that its findings would be made public.

Providing an update on Monday, the new Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, stated that a comprehensive investigation had now been concluded in accordance with established military procedures, and the report had been forwarded to the appropriate superior authority.

In the interim investigation report, the indicted Colonel was described as the alleged coordinator of the plot.

Investigators said the planned coup went beyond “casual dissent” and had entered the early stages of operational planning, including the covert surveillance of critical national assets such as the Presidential Villa, Armed Forces Complex, Niger Barracks, Abuja, and Lagos international airports.

According to the report, the plot was uncovered following intelligence on “disgruntled elements within the Armed Forces of Nigeria and the civil populace,” leading to arrests, interrogations, and link analysis that exposed a structured conspiracy aimed at a coup d’état.

The report states that the Army officer, who reportedly failed promotion exams twice, “harnessed these grievances to recruit like-minded officers,” openly lamenting his stagnation and expressing the need to “change government.”

According to the report, searches conducted on his vehicle reportedly uncovered charms and anti-government materials, while a raid on his residence in Lokogoma, Apo, yielded “very sensitive documents,” including assigned roles to principal actors and notes identifying how “key national dignitaries” were to be handled during the operation.

“Multiple testimonies implicate Col (name withheld) as the coordinator of the conspiracy. He has been identified so far as the source of funding, recruitment, and motivation, openly lamenting his stagnation in promotion and expressing the need to ‘change government.’

“Several officers involved in the plot describe him as the figure who provided financial inducements and justification.

“Meanwhile, search of his vehicle revealed several charms and write-ups such as the NUPENG strike action and other anti-government write-ups.

“Similarly, a search on his residence at Lokogoma, Apo, revealed very sensitive documents which included allocation of responsibilities to some of the principal actors.

“Also, key national dignitaries were earmarked to be handled by respective principal actors,” the report stated.

The PUNCH, on Monday, had reported how the coup plotters infiltrated the Presidential Villa and compromised the staff of construction giants, Julius Berger, to get some security information of the premises.

The Defence Headquarters on Monday said personnel indicted after investigations into alleged misconduct by some military officers, which uncovered claims of a plot to overthrow the government, would be arraigned before an appropriate military judicial panel.

The 16 officers reported to be in custody were Brig Gen M. A. Sadiq, Col M. A. Maaji, Lt Col S. Bappah, Lt Col A.A. Hayatu, Lt Col P. Dangnap, Lt Col M. Almakura, Maj A. J. Ibrahim, Maj M. M. Jiddah, Maj M.A. Usman, Maj D. Yusuf, Capt I. Bello, Capt A.A. Yusuf, Lt S.S. Felix, Lt Cdr D.B. Abdullahi, Sqn Ldr S.B. Adamu, and Maj I. Dauda.

Officers being awaited, according to the report, are Maj J.M. Ganaks and Capt G. Binuga Most of the suspects are of northern extraction, with the exception of Capt Yusuf, who hails from Osun State.

The foiled coup was allegedly set for October 25, 2025, and was planned to be fatal, with the President, Vice President Kashim Shettima, ministers, service chiefs, and other notable government officials marked for elimination.

The country’s security establishment, however, uncovered what investigators described as a coordinated and well-funded plot by serving military officers to undermine constituted authority and potentially seize power, with intelligence linking the conspiracy to a clandestine network spanning the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

According to investigators, financial inducements ranging from N2m to N5m were distributed to some principal actors, while encrypted communication platforms were used to coordinate logistics.

Investigators further traced financial inducements allegedly disbursed by the Colonel to some officers for “logistics and possible mobilisation,” with intelligence pointing to the involvement of at least one major financier now under investigation.

A detailed financial trail, according to the report, was being analysed with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit.

One of the suspects, Lt Col Bappah, emerged as a critical witness, the report stated.

The report noted that Bappah was “cooperating fully,” having admitted his role and provided details on funding flows, recruitment methods, and communication channels.

His testimony, investigators said, had strengthened the case and offered rare insight into the group’s modus operandi.

Encrypted messaging platforms, including WhatsApp and Zangi, were allegedly used to coordinate activities, while discreet vehicle repairs and fund movements suggested what investigators described as “early-stage logistical preparations.”

The interim assessment warned that the threat was elevated by the cross-service nature of the network, the involvement of senior officers up to the rank of Brigadier-General, and the identification of strategic installations for seizure — hallmarks, the report says, of deliberate coup-style planning.

While full investigations continued and more suspects were being tracked, security sources said the findings justified swift preventive action to dismantle the network, secure sensitive locations, and cut off funding lines sustaining the alleged plot.

“The threat posed was clear and immediate,” the report concluded, adding that failure to act could have had “grave implications for national stability.”

Security agencies are also reportedly examining alleged political linkages surrounding the uncovered coup plot within the Armed Forces, with sources confirming that the name of a former minister surfaced in the course of ongoing intelligence reviews.

However, no formal charge had been filed against the former minister, and no arrest warrant had been issued, as he had been outside the country for a while.

Security sources told The PUNCH that the probe had expanded beyond serving military officers to include civilian contacts, financiers, and political associates who may have had direct or indirect interactions with key suspects.

“The investigation is not limited to uniforms alone,” one source said.

“We are looking at communication trails, financial flows, and political interfaces. That does not mean guilt; it means due diligence,” he added. (Text, excluding headline: The PUNCH)

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