As investigations into the foiled coup attempt against President Bola Tinubu’s administration continue, PREMIUM TIMES has obtained exclusive details on the identities of 16 senior military officers allegedly involved in the plot. Sources say the officers were detained amid speculation that the coup was linked to dissatisfaction over the low-key Independence Day celebrations on October 1, a claim the Defence Headquarters has denied while otherwise remaining silent.
Sources familiar with the ongoing probe said 14 of the 16 detained officers are from the Nigerian Army, while the remaining two are from the Navy and the Air Force. Among the army officers, 12 belong to the Infantry Corps, the army’s frontline combat unit. One officer is from the Signals Corps, which handles military communications, and another serves in the Ordnance Corps, responsible for procuring, storing, and maintaining weapons, ammunition, vehicles, and other essential hardware.
The army officers include a brigadier general, a colonel, four lieutenant colonels, five majors, two captains, and a lieutenant. The Navy and Air Force officers are a lieutenant commander, the naval equivalent of a major, and a squadron leader, holding the same rank equivalence in the Air Force.
The Nigerian government and the military have so far remained silent on the coup plot, with the Defence Headquarters only stating that the incident was not the reason for the subdued Independence Day celebrations on October 1.
Profiles of Officers in Detention
The remaining five officers, whose details are sketchy, include:
Investigators continue to probe the alleged roles of the officers in the coup plot, but authorities have not confirmed any charges or formal statements at this stage.
Leave a Comment