Investigation Uncovers Army Colonel Allegedly Behind Plot to Oust President Tinubu

Fresh findings from an interim military investigation have exposed details of an alleged coup plot that was being hatched against the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with a serving Army Colonel identified as the suspected architect of the conspiracy. This revelation has reignited national attention on internal security and discipline within Nigeria’s armed forces. 

According to the report, which was sighted by The PUNCH, intelligence and military investigators traced funding, recruitment and operational planning directly to the Colonel (name withheld), who is said to have mobilised a clandestine network of officers across the Army, Navy and Air Force with the aim of seizing power. 

What the Report Says

Investigators allege that the officer’s dissatisfaction with repeated promotion failures fuelled his disaffection and became a core motivation for rallying like-minded military personnel into an informal network. These officers, reportedly including ranks from Captain up to Brigadier-General, were allegedly instructed to conduct reconnaissance on strategic national installations such as the Presidential Villa, major barracks, and international airports in Abuja and Lagos. 

The interim findings describe a conspiracy that went beyond grumbling and into early operational planning, with documents seized during raids on the Colonel’s residence depicting assigned roles for key actors and schedules for potential action. Searches on his vehicle reportedly yielded charms and anti-government materials, while sensitive communications and encrypted messages were used to coordinate the network’s movements and logistics. 

The Plot’s Alleged Scope and Targets

According to the investigative summary, the would-be operation — planned for October 25, 2025 — was designed to be fatal and sweeping, with multiple high-ranking government officials marked as targets, including:

President Bola Tinubu

Vice President Kashim Shettima

Senior ministers

Service chiefs and other strategic leadership figures 

Financial inducements of between ₦2 million and ₦5 million were reportedly paid to some of the principal actors to secure their cooperation, intensifying concerns about how grievances and personal ambitions might have been leveraged to build the network. 

Arrests, Broader Detentions and Military Response

The Defence Headquarters initially announced the arrest of 16 officers in October 2025 on alleged acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations, but those findings were later connected to the alleged plot as investigations deepened. In some external reporting, authorities have indicated that up to 35 military personnel, including officers and non-commissioned ranks, were detained in connection with the matter — most reported to be from northern units, though some from the South were also named. 

The Defence Headquarters has confirmed that those with cases to answer will be formally arraigned before military judicial panels under the Armed Forces Act, and that the investigative report has been forwarded to superior authorities in line with established procedures. Military spokespeople have emphasised that the process is intended to balance discipline, accountability and the rule of law. 

Security Implications and Public Response

This development has surfaced amid heightened regional stability concerns, with coup attempts or political upheavals reported in neighbouring West African states in recent months. In Nigeria, it underscores concern over internal cohesion and loyalty within uniformed services, even as the federal government stresses constitutional order and professional standards. 

The interim report’s findings have not only strengthened the case for military judicial proceedings but also prompted calls for enhanced oversight and intelligence monitoring within the armed forces to prevent similar conspiracies in the future. At the same time, authorities continue to deny that the arrests reflect genuine threats to democratic governance, framing some prior reporting as tied to discipline issues rather than an overt coup attempt — though the unfolding judicial process will further clarify the narrative.