In a breaking development, reports indicate that at least 16 senior officers of the Armed Forces of Nigeria have been arrested and are currently in secret detention in connection with an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s government.
According to multiple sources, the detained officers—including ranks up to Brigadier‑General—were attached to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and were allegedly planning to seize power immediately following the October 1 Independence Day parade.
Among the names emerging is one Lieutenant‑Colonel Al‑Makura, reportedly recently returned from a special combat course in China and identified by intelligence sources as the ring leader of the plot. He is said to be a nephew of former Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Umaru Al‑Makura.
Families of the detained officers say they have been held for over three weeks in an undisclosed facility in Abuja, with limited or no access to legal representation or contact with relatives. One family member described the situation as tantamount to kidnapping.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence has remained elusive. In its official statement the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier‑General Tukur Gusau, described the detentions as relating to “indiscipline and breach of service regulations,” including repeated failures in promotion exams—but did not explicitly refer to a coup plot.
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The alleged plot’s exposure coincides with a major shake‑up of Nigeria’s military leadership: President Tinubu appointed new service chiefs, a move analysts say may be linked to the unfolding crisis.
