The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has identified 16 military officers implicated in an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu, months after the military authorities initially dismissed reports of a coup attempt.

Those indicted include a Brigadier General, Colonels, and Lieutenant Colonels drawn mainly from the Infantry, Signals and Ordnance Corps, as well as officers of the Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Air Force. The officers span various regular and direct short service courses of the Armed Forces.

The full list comprises Brigadier General Musa Abubakar Sadiq (Nasarawa, 44th Regular Course); Colonel M. A. Ma’aji (Niger, 47th Regular Course); Lieutenant Colonels S. Bappah (Bauchi, 56th Regular Course), A. A. Hayatu (Kaduna, 56th Regular Course), Dangnan (Plateau, 56th Regular Course) and M. Almakura (Nasarawa, 56th Regular Course); Majors A. J. Ibrahim (Gombe, 56th Regular Course), M. M. Jiddah (Katsina, 56th Regular Course), M. A. Usman (Federal Capital Territory, 60th Regular Course), D. Yusuf (Gombe, 59th Regular Course) and I. Dauda (Jigawa, DSSC 38).

Others are Captains I. Bello and A. A. Yusuf; Lieutenant S. S. Felix (DSSC); Lieutenant Commander D. B. Abdullahi of the Nigerian Navy; and Squadron Leader S. B. Adamu of the Nigerian Air Force.

The confirmation followed the conclusion of internal investigations by the military, which found that some personnel had a case to answer over allegations of plotting to overthrow the government.

In a statement issued on Monday, January 26, 2026, the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Samaila Uba, said the investigation report had been forwarded to the appropriate superior authority in line with existing regulations.

“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,” Uba said.

He added that the affected officers would be formally arraigned before appropriate military judicial panels to face trial under the Armed Forces Act and other applicable service regulations.

According to the DHQ, the actions being taken are purely disciplinary and form part of institutional mechanisms to preserve order, discipline and operational effectiveness within the armed forces, while ensuring fairness and due process.

The development comes months after the federal government abruptly cancelled the military parade scheduled for October 1, 2025, to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day. At the time, the government gave no detailed explanation for the cancellation.

Days later, reports surfaced linking the decision to cancel the Independence Day parade to an alleged coup plot. The Defence Headquarters, however, denied the reports, insisting that the parade cancellation had no connection to any coup attempt and that the arrest of some officers was unrelated.

Subsequent reports indicated that several officers were arrested in the first week of October 2025 over the alleged plot, with others reportedly on the run — claims now confirmed by the military’s latest statement.

Uba said the armed forces remain committed to upholding professionalism, loyalty and respect for constitutional authority, assuring the public that the matter is being handled in line with military law.

According to Premium Times, the alleged coup plotters planned to assassinate President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, among others.

The move came amid a spike in military coups in Africa, especially West Africa. In December, Nigeria scrambled fighter jets to help foil a coup attempt in neighbouring Benin Republic.

Nigeria has a complex history of military involvement in politics, with multiple coups between 1966 and 1993.