Nigerian military high command confirms that 35 officers have been detained over coup plot

ABOUT 35 Nigerian military officers are currently being detained by security operatives over their involvement in an alleged coup plot against President Bola Tinubu according to online media portal Sahara Reporters.

Over recent weeks, rumours have been rife about a coup d'état but up until today, the claims had been dismissed as a hearsay. On Monday this week, however, Nigeria's defence headquarters confirmed that some officers were arrested and are being investigated for allegedly involved in plotting to overthrow the government

According to the military authorities, the indicted officers would be arraigned before military judicial panels. In a statement signed by the director of defence information in October last year, Major General Samaila Uba, the military authorities said that 16 officers were being investigated for indiscipline and a breach of service regulations.

However, top military sources have now revealed that 35 military personnel including 33 northerners and an operative of a paramilitary organisation are currently being detained over the coup plot. Among the officers are an army brigadier, two colonels, five lieutenant colonels, one wing commander, eight majors, one lieutenant commander, two squadron leaders, five captains and a lieutenant.

Also in detention are 10 non-commissioned officers, including a warrant officer, five sergeants, one corporal and two lance corporals. Two of the detailed officers are said to be southerners, including one Captain Yusuf from Osun State and Squadron Leader Zuzu from Bayelsa State.

On  January 23, Sahara Reports has revealed that at least five of the detained officers fell ill while in custody, with two reportedly collapsing due to worsening conditions. Sources disclosed that the officers were allegedly transferred from a Defence Intelligence Agency detention facility to an underground military cell in Abuja described as dark and poorly ventilated.

Families of the detained officers have repeatedly raised concerns over what they described as inhumane treatment, prolonged incommunicado detention and denial of access to lawyers and relatives. Some spouses said that they were not informed of transfers between detention facilities and had been barred from visits since the arrests.

Despite earlier official denials of any coup plot, Monday’s statement by Nigeria's defence headquarters appears to now formally acknowledge the coup allegations. Nigeria has a complex history of military involvement in politics, with multiple coups between 1966 and 1993, which has made allegations of coup‑plotting highly sensitive.