The administration of President Bola Tinubu has again denied widespread reports alleging a coup plot in Nigeria, insisting that no such attempt occurred.
Speaking during an interview on TVC on Tuesday, the Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication to the President, Sunday Dare, said the Presidency aligns fully with the position of the Nigerian military, which has already denied any ongoing coup attempt or plans to topple the government.
He stressed that the armed forces remain the constitutionally empowered institution to secure Nigeria’s unity and territorial integrity, adding that the Tinubu administration has confidence in their loyalty.
He said, “We are going to stick to the narrative of the military because they are the ones constitutionally empowered to secure this country. They are given the power, arms and ammunition as the intelligence power.
“So when the military says these are the reasons why we have this development, we are going to stay with that narrative because that is the brief that is out there. Until the military comes with a different narrative, we are going to stay with that narrative. On some military being retained, there is a need to have institutional memory and maintain a balance and this decision was not taken on a flip for the person that was retained.”
Meanwhile, the media had reported how Operatives of the Nigerian Army raided the Abuja residence of former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, in connection with the alleged coup plot currently under investigation by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).
Multiple security sources confirmed to media that the raid occurred at Sylva’s home in the Maitama area of Abuja.
According to insiders, a “special military team” carried out the operation after intelligence linked a “former South-South governor” to secret meetings allegedly held with some of the detained military officers.
“Nigerian Army special team ransacked the home of Timipre Sylva, who is believed to have fled Nigeria,” one source familiar with the development told SaharaReporters.
“He is the South-South former governor frequently mentioned in the case. His brother, named Paga, was picked up during the raid. The operation also extended to his Bayelsa residence.”
Another security insider said that while no official statement had been issued regarding the raid, the action was “not random” but “a direct response to intelligence linking certain political figures to the alleged plotters.”
“The Abuja home was first searched, and then a follow-up operation took place in Bayelsa. They picked his brother, but Sylva himself was nowhere to be found. The military believes he may have left the country days before the first wave of arrests,” the source added.
This development comes amid growing tension within the armed forces following the media’ exclusive report that at least 16 senior military officers have been detained incommunicado by the DIA over an alleged coup plot.
The detained officers, drawn from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, have been held for over three weeks in an undisclosed Abuja facility under what sources described as “unusual and suspicious conditions.”
Family members told SaharaReporters they initially believed their relatives had been kidnapped, as there was no official communication from the military regarding their arrests.
“It’s been 18 days since those 16 officers were detained in an undisclosed location. At first, we thought our brother was kidnapped before finding out what transpired from his friend who works in the NSA office,” a family member said.
Security analysts have questioned why the DIA, an intelligence agency under the Ministry of Defence, is spearheading the investigation instead of allowing each military service to handle its personnel internally, a move seen as “highly political.”
“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?” one retired officer asked. “This smells of politics. There’s clearly more going on behind the scenes.”
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