Identities of Detained Officers Emerge in Alleged Coup Plot

Fresh revelations have emerged on the identities of at least sixteen Nigerian military officers being held over an alleged coup attempt, weeks after their arrest plunged the nation’s defence community into tension. Fourteen of the officers are from the Army, while the remaining two serve in the Navy and Air Force.

Among the Army personnel are a brigadier general, a colonel, four lieutenant colonels, five majors, two captains, and a lieutenant. The naval suspect is a lieutenant commander, while the Air Force officer holds the rank of squadron leader both equivalent to a major in the Army. Most of the detained soldiers reportedly belong to the 56 Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), which trained between 2004 and 2008.

Further findings indicate that twelve of the Army officers hail from the Infantry Corps, while one each serves in the Signals and Ordnance Corps. Sources also noted that fifteen of the suspects come from northern Nigeria, with only one officer, a lieutenant from the South-west. Investigators say the officers were allegedly part of a plot that included plans to eliminate key government figures.

While the military has refused to directly confirm whether the officers were part of a coup plot, it said the probe was a “routine internal process” to preserve discipline within the ranks. The arrests coincided with a surprise overhaul in the armed forces that saw President Bola Tinubu replace top service chiefs, a move the presidency insisted was not linked to the alleged conspiracy.