At least 16 senior officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces are currently in detention in connection with an alleged coup attempt against the government of Bola Tinubu.
Sources disclosed that the list of detainees comprises a brigadier general, a colonel, four lieutenant colonels, five majors, two captains and a lieutenant from the Army, plus a lieutenant commander from the Navy and a squadron leader from the Air Force.
Background
The alleged plot is said to have been uncovered ahead of the 1 October Independence Day parade. Intelligence sources claim the officers planned to use the ceremony as a cover for a swift takeover of the government.
However, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has denied any coup attempt, stating instead that the officers are held for “indiscipline and breach of service regulations”, linked to “perceived career stagnation and repeated failure in promotion examinations”.
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A further report indicates that 14 of the detainees are from the Irish-Infantry-dominant Nigerian Army, one from the Signals Corps and one from the Ordnance Corps; the remaining two are from the Navy and Air Force.
Separate sources suggest many of the suspects had been attached to the office of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
Below are profiles of the individuals whose names and details have been made public thus far:
1. Musa Abubakar Sadiq (Brigadier General)
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Born 3 January 1974.
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Service number N/10321.
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Trained at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) between 14 August 1992 and 20 September 1997 (Regular Course 44).
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Indigenous to Nasarawa State.
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Career progression: Colonel in 2015, Brigadier in 2019.
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Corps: Infantry.
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Previous postings include Commander, 3rd Brigade (Kano) and Garrison Commander, 81 Division (Lagos).
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Under earlier investigation in October 2024 for alleged diversion of rice palliatives and sale of military equipment, including generator sets and vehicles, to scrap yards.
2. M.A. Ma’aji (Colonel)
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Born 1 March 1976. Nupe heritage, Niger State.
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Service number N/10668.
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NDA regular course 47 (18 August 1995 – 16 September 2000).
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Infantry Corps.
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Promoted to lieutenant-colonel in 2013 and full colonel in 2017.
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Commanding Officer of 19 Battalion, Okitipupa (Ondo State).
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Formerly involved in Operation Crocodile Smile II (2017) in the Niger Delta / South-West region.
READ ALSO: DHQ Dismisses Reports of Arrests Over Alleged Coup Plot
3. S. Bappah (Lieutenant Colonel)
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Born 21 June 1984 – from Bauchi State.
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Service number N/13036.
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NDA Regular Course 56 (27 September 2004 – 4 October 2008).
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Corps: Signals.
4. A.A. Hayatu (Lieutenant Colonel)
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Born 13 August 1983 – Kaduna State.
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Service number N/13038.
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NDA Regular Course 56.
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Corps: Infantry.
5. P. Dangnap (Lieutenant Colonel)
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Born 1 April 1986 – Plateau State.
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Service number N/13025.
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NDA Regular Course 56.
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Corps: Infantry.
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Note: Court-martialed in 2015 alongside 29 others for offences related to the fight against Boko Haram.
6. M. Almakura (Lieutenant Colonel)
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Born 18 March 1983 – Nasarawa State.
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Service number N/12983.
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NDA Regular Course 56.
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Corps: Infantry.
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The Gistcore report suggests this officer recently returned from a combat training course in China and is a nephew of former Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Umaru Al‑Makura.
7. A.J. Ibrahim (Major)
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Born 12 June 1987 – Gombe State.
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Service number N/13065.
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NDA Regular Course 56.
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Corps: Infantry.
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Commissioned Captain in 2013.
8. M.M. Jiddah (Major)
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Born 9 July 1985 – Katsina State.
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Service number N/13003.
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NDA Regular Course 56.
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Corps: Infantry.
9. M.A. Usman (Major)
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Born 1 April 1989 – FCT (Abuja).
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Service number N/15404.
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NDA Regular Course 60 (16 August 2008 – 14 September 2012).
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Corps: Infantry.
10. D. Yusuf (Major)
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Born 26 May 1988 – Gombe State.
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Service number N/14753.
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NDA Regular Course 59 (7 July 2007 – 8 September 2012).
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Corps: Ordnance.
11. I. Dauda (Major)
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Born 26 November 1983 – Jigawa State.
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Service number N/13625.
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Direct Short Service Commission Course 38 (5 June 2009 – 27 March 2010).
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Corps: Infantry.
12. Ibrahim Bello (Captain)
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Born 28 July 1987.
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Service number N/16266.
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Direct Short Service Commission Course 43.
13. A.A. Yusuf (Captain)
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Service number N/16724.
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Further personal details not fully disclosed.
14. S.S. Felix (Lieutenant)
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Service number N/18105.
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Rank: Lieutenant. Additional details remain sketchy.
15. D.B. Abdullahi (Lieutenant Commander – Navy)
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Service number NN/3289.
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Naval equivalent of an army major.
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One of the two non-Army officers was detained.
16. S.B. Adamu (Squadron Leader – Air Force)
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Service number NAF/3481.
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Air Force equivalent to an Army Major.
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The second non-Army officer in the group.
What this means
The scale and seniority of the officers involved, from a brigadier general down to junior ranks, raise concerns about the seriousness of the allegation. The fact that the alleged planners are largely drawn from the Infantry Corps, the army’s frontline ground-combat branch, adds to the sensitivity.
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Yet, contradictions persist: though media reports maintain the arrests are coup-related, the military insists the detentions are disciplinary in nature, not treason.
The opaque nature of the proceedings, detainees being held in an undisclosed facility, and the government’s refusal to supply comprehensive details raise questions about due process, transparency and implications for civil-military relations in Nigeria.
Pinnacle Daily will continue to monitor developments and update you as more names or details emerge.
