Nollywood actor and director Stanley Amandi has been hauled into detention alongside numerous military commanders accused of organizing a forceful revolution of President Bola Tinubu’s government.
Amandi, a former chairman of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) Enugu State branch, was detained in September 2025, according to an AGN source.
The suspected coup planners allegedly hired the filmmaker as a media propagandist with the goal of assassinating high-ranking government officials.
The accused officers allegedly planned a violent takeover of power, with President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas allegedly listed for assassination, according to government officials familiar with the investigation.
The Defense Headquarters announced on Monday that there was an illegal plan to overthrow the Tinubu government and that military judicial tribunals will try the personnel involved.
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Investigations have been completed and submitted to “appropriate superior authority in line with extant regulations,” according to a statement from Defense Headquarters. The investigation, according to the military, was “comprehensive,” including “all circumstances surrounding the conduct of the affected personnel.”
The investigation turned up “a number of officers with allegations of plotting to overthrow the government,” the statement added, emphasizing that such behavior was “inconsistent with the ethics, values, and professional standards required of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.”
Amandi has developed a career as an actor, director, and production manager by appearing in and working behind the scenes on a number of Nollywood productions. The Album (director), Tiger King (director and producer, 2008), Cornerstone (2019), and Once Upon a Dream (2024), in which he acted, are among his cinematic credits.
His most recent Instagram post was made on September 19, 2025, days before his arrest.
