DHQ Confirms Plot to Oust Tinubu as 16 Military Officers Face Court-Martial

By Yinka Giwa
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has confirmed that some of the sixteen military officers arrested for acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations were investigated for allegedly plotting to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government.

In a statement issued on Monday, the DHQ said investigations into the case, which began after the officers were arrested in October 2025, have been concluded and forwarded to the appropriate superior military authority in line with extant regulations.

The statement, signed by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, disclosed that the comprehensive investigation uncovered allegations against a number of the officers bordering on attempts to subvert constitutional authority, conduct the military described as incompatible with the ethics, values and professional standards of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN).

“The findings have identified a number of the officers with allegations of plotting to overthrow the government, which is inconsistent with the ethics, values and professional standards required of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria,” the DHQ said.

Accordingly, the officers with cases to answer are to be formally arraigned before appropriate military judicial panels to face trial under the Armed Forces Act and other applicable service regulations. The DHQ stressed that the process would ensure accountability while observing fairness and due process.

The military authorities emphasised that the measures being taken are strictly disciplinary and form part of institutional mechanisms to preserve order, discipline and operational effectiveness within the ranks. It reaffirmed the Armed Forces’ loyalty to the Constitution and respect for democratic authority.

The confirmation by the DHQ provides official clarity months after intense speculation over an alleged coup plot that reportedly unsettled the nation’s security architecture late last year.

In October 2025, multiple security sources disclosed that sixteen officers, including senior ranks from the Army, Navy and Air Force, were being held by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) over an alleged plot to topple the Tinubu administration. Some of the officers were said to have been serving at the Office of the National Security Adviser at the time of their arrest.

Investigations at the time reportedly linked the officers to a planned coordinated strike allegedly scheduled for October 25, 2025, with claims—denied by authorities—that senior government officials, including the President and Vice President, were potential targets.

The arrests also triggered wider security probes that reportedly extended to civilian political figures. Timipre Sylva, a former Bayelsa State governor and ex-petroleum minister was named in security circles as a person of interest, amid claims that his name surfaced during interrogations of the detained officers. He was later declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged financial crimes, a move security sources described as part of a broader containment strategy.

While the Defence Headquarters initially dismissed reports of a coup plot as exaggerated, senior defence and intelligence officials repeatedly warned that anyone working to undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty would face decisive action.

Speaking in October 2025, the then Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, vowed that the Armed Forces would go after “anyone found doing anything negative against the government and the sovereignty of Nigeria,” describing such individuals as enemies of the state.

The DHQ’s latest statement now confirms that elements within the military ranks were indeed investigated for alleged attempts to subvert the constitutional order, marking the most direct official acknowledgment yet of the gravity of the security breach.

Major General Uba said the Armed Forces remain resolute in maintaining the highest standards of professionalism, discipline and loyalty, assuring Nigerians that the military remains firmly committed to defending democracy and national stability.