By Our Reporter
Over forty persons have been reportedly arrested, following report of an alleged coup recently.
Although, reports of the coup was never confirmed by the authorities, fresh indications reveal that given the spate of arrests made by the Nigerian military across its’ rank and file, there may have been attempts by some persons to shake things up a bit.
Only last week, President Tinubu, amid the denials, announced new service chiefs, sending the old to unexpectedly early retirement. Chief of Defense Staff, General Chris Musa, were among the casualties. The President’s reason for this reshuffling was reportedly to strengthen the military architecture of the country. Following this development, about 16 military men were reportedly arrested for their alleged involvement with the coup. Now there are fresh indications that the military has arrested an additional 15 officers of various ranks in connection with an alleged coup plot against the Federal Government, bringing the number of detained officers to over 40.
It is reported that the new arrests followed revelations made during interrogation of the initial 16 officers taken into custody. The detained officers reportedly disclosed the expected roles the newly arrested personnel were meant to play in what investigators described as a “grand plot.” There are palpable fear that as the investigations unfold, more arrests maybe made.
The first group of officers reportedly arrested , according to Vanguard newspaper, include:
1 Brigadier General
1 Colonel
4 Lieutenant Colonels
5 Majors
2 Army Captains
1 Lieutenant Commander (Navy)
1 Squadron Leader (Air Force)
1 Army Lieutenant
Their names were given as:
Brigadier General Musa Abubakar Sadiq (Nasarawa, 44th Regular Course)
Colonel M.A. Ma’aji (Niger, 47th Course)
Lt Col S. Bappah (Bauchi, 56th Course)
Lt Col A.A. Hayatu (Kaduna, 56th Course)
Lt Col Dangnan (Plateau, 56th Course)
Lt Col M. Almakura (Nasarawa, 56th Course)
Major A.J. Ibrahim (Gombe, 56th Course)
Major M.M. Jiddah (Katsina, 56th Course)
Major M.A. Usman (FCT, 60th Course)
Major D. Yusuf (Gombe, 59th Course)
Major I. Dauda (Jigawa, DSSC 38)
Captain I. Bello (DSSC 43)
Captain A.A. Yusuf
Lieutenant S.S. Felix (DSSC)
Lieutenant Commander D.B. Abdullahi (Navy)
Squadron Leader S.B. Adamu (Air Force)
Most of the officers, Vanguard reports, belong to the Infantry Corps, Signals Corps, and Ordnance Corps.
Investigations are still on-going, and the military is,, in line with their training, keeping communications and findings in top secret. Feelers from the Defence Ministry reported that the officers were being held for “acts of indiscipline” and violations of service regulations.
Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, was reported to have said at the time that the arrests emerged from a routine military exercise, disclosing that the officers’ grievances were linked to career stagnation and repeated failures in promotion examinations.
“Some of the apprehended officers had been under jurisdiction for various offenses, either awaiting or undergoing trial. Their conduct was deemed incompatible with the standards of military service,” Gusau reportedly stated.
He added that the officers would face full military disciplinary procedures upon conclusion of investigations, stressing that the exercise was aimed at maintaining order, discipline, and loyalty within the ranks.
“The armed forces will not tolerate any behaviour that undermines the integrity of the institution or threatens its constitutional role under democratic authority,” he said.
Gusau reiterated that the Armed Forces of Nigeria remain fully committed to their constitutional responsibilities and professionalism.
With additional reports from the Vanguard