Top intelligence operatives have uncovered how a group of dissatisfied military officers allegedly plotted to overthrow President Bola Tinubu in what security sources describe as one of the boldest challenges to Nigeria’s democratic stability in recent years.
Recall that around 20 officers had been arrested and detained over the alleged coup attempt.
According to a report by PREMIUM TIMES, a senior military source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the development triggered unease within government circles and prompted the presidency to call off the traditional Independence Day parade on 1 October. An investigative panel has since been constituted to question the officers involved.
According to insiders, the group had fixed 25 October as the day to strike.“That was the tentative date,” the source said. “If things did not work out that day, they will continue plotting.”
Although the arrests occurred before Independence Day, officials decided to suspend the parade as a precaution.“The parade could have been held since the arrests were made before 01 October, but the government did not want to take risk since it was a military ceremony,” another officer said.
Details of the officers implicated remain sketchy, though the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, has been briefed on the matter.
According to the newspaper, sources disclosed that President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas were among those marked for elimination.“There are other people targeted,” the source noted. “But those are the key targets.”
“They also planned to arrest top military officers, including the service chiefs,” he continued. “They did not want to kill them.”
The alleged plot involved the simultaneous assassination of the listed officials.“They were targeting the day that all of them would be in the country. Wherever they were, they would be assassinated,” the source added.
Investigators believe the officers worked with informants within the Presidential Villa and around the movements of their targets.“They have people in the villa that monitor movements of these officials,” he said. “They wanted to kill them at the same time and install a military government.”
In a statement dated 4 October, Defence Headquarters spokesperson Brigadier-General Tukur Gusau confirmed that the detained officers “were being investigated for indiscipline and breach of service regulations.”
Mr Gusau said preliminary findings suggested the officers’ discontent stemmed from “career stagnation and failure in promotion examinations.”
Meanwhile, a statement issued by Defence Headquarters on Saturday, dismissed the alleged coup plot, saying the report was misleading and false.
(PREMIUM TIMES)