Heightening tension within the Armed Forces follows revelations that at least 16 senior military officers from the Army, Navy, and Air Force have been detained by the Defence Intelligence Agency in connection with an alleged coup plot. The officers have been held incommunicado for over three weeks in an undisclosed facility in Abuja. A family member of a detained officer stated, “It’s been 18 days since those 16 officers were detained. At first, we thought our brother was kidnapped before finding out what transpired from his friend who works in the NSA office.”
The plot investigation took a dramatic turn when a special military team raided the Abuja residence of former Bayelsa State Governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva. The raid was based on intelligence reports linking Sylva to secret meetings with some of the detained military officers. A top security source disclosed that Sylva’s brother, Paga, was arrested during a simultaneous operation on the former governor’s Bayelsa home. The source revealed, “The Nigerian Army special team ransacked the home of Timipre Sylva, who is believed to have fled Nigeria. His brother, Paga, was picked up during the raid.”
Security analysts have raised alarms over the DIA’s central role in the probe, noting such investigations are typically handled internally by the respective military services. A retired senior officer questioned the proceedings, saying, “If the military were truly conducting a disciplinary operation, over 10,000 cases could emerge. Why only 16 officers, and why hand them to the DIA? This smells of politics. There’s clearly more going on behind the scenes.” Speculation is widespread that the alleged plot and arrests have deeper political undertones, potentially involving allies of former President Muhammadu Buhari. Timipre Sylva, a close ally of the late ex-President, served in his cabinet and was a recent gubernatorial candidate. Neither the Nigerian Army nor the Defence Headquarters has issued an official statement on the raids or detentions.
