Former Governor, Army Officers Under Probe Over Alleged Coup Against Tinubu Govt

A former governor from one of the southern states is reportedly under investigation for alleged links to a group of army officers detained over an alleged coup plot against President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Sources who spoke to Daily Trust disclosed that security operatives suspect the ex-governor may have financed or supported the purported coup, which was allegedly scheduled for October 25.

The investigation, coordinated by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) with representation from the three arms of the Armed Forces, is said to be ongoing under tight secrecy.

Sixteen military officers, including a Brigadier-General, a Colonel, and others of lower ranks, are currently in custody over what the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) earlier described as “unprofessional conduct.”

However, security insiders insist that the probe is centred on an alleged plan to overthrow the Tinubu government.

A senior military source confirmed that the “former civilian governor being investigated” is also a former operative in the oil and gas sector, though his exact level of involvement has not been established.

“For now, there are 16 officers in custody, and the civilian accomplices are under close watch,” the source said, adding that the former governor might be invited for questioning if credible links are confirmed.

The DHQ, in a statement issued by its Director of Defence Information, Brigadier-General Tukur Gusau, dismissed reports of a coup plot as false and misleading, urging the public to ignore what it described as “fabricated claims aimed at causing panic.”

Nonetheless, multiple security sources maintain that the allegations are being thoroughly examined, given the sensitivity of the matter and the ranks of the officers involved.

The detained officers reportedly include one from Niger State and a Colonel from Nasarawa, whose father is said to be a traditional ruler and brother to former governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura.

Family members of the detained officers have expressed distress over the situation. A relative of one of the accused officers told Daily Trust that “the entire family is worried” and prayed they are not found guilty of the allegations.