New information on the failed coup attempt against President Bola Tinubu’s administration has emerged, providing insight into how a serving Army Colonel allegedly put together a clandestine, cross-service network to subvert the constitutional order prior to security forces intervening.
Vanguard remembers that after weeks of silent strain within the Armed Forces, Defense Headquarters reported the arrest of 16 officers for acts of indiscipline and violations of military norms.
Rumors of a purported coup attempt against President Tinubu’s administration began circulating on social media in October 2025. Even while the abrupt cancellation of the Independence Day parade sparked rumors about more serious security issues, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) at the time rejected the reports as “false and misleading.”
But according to new information from an interim inquiry report that Punch Newspapers was able to get, the plot’s purported mastermind was a colonel whose frequent failures in promotion exams allegedly caused animosity and estrangement. Instead of keeping his complaints to himself, he is alleged to have used them as a recruiting tool, luring officers from the Army, Navy, and Air Force into a loose but well-organized network.
Members of the group were allegedly tasked with charting access routes, routines, and weaknesses in order to covertly examine sensitive installations, such as the Presidential Villa, the Armed Forces Complex, Niger Barracks in Abuja, and international airports in Abuja and Lagos. What started out as complaints quickly developed into preliminary operational planning.
According to security sources, a raid on the officer’s home in Lokogoma, Apo, produced crucial paperwork specifying allocated responsibilities and how important national dignitaries were to be handled once the operation started, while searches on his car turned up charms and anti-government materials.
Additionally, it is alleged that the conspirators used insider access to infiltrate the Presidential Villa and compromise employees connected to Julius Berger, a construction company, in order to gather security information about the property. Unusual cash flows and covert car repairs suggested mobilization preparations, while encrypted communication channels were purportedly utilized to coordinate funds, logistics, and movements.
Intelligence services are currently examining the money trail through the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit after investigators linked financial inducements totaling between N2 million and N5 million to a few key players.
According to reports, one of the suspects, Lt-Col S. Bappah, turned critical witness, acknowledging his involvement and offering information on the network’s communication patterns, financial sources, and recruitment strategies.
Security officials point out that the conspiracy’s cross-service reach, involving officers up to the rank of Brigadier-General and spanning the Army, Navy, and Air Force, posed a threat.
The President, Vice-President Kashim Shettima, ministers, service chiefs, and other senior officials were identified as targets of the purported plan, which was discovered before the October 25, 2025, execution date.
Investigators are now expanding their investigation beyond the military hierarchy to include civilian financiers and political contacts who might have had contact with the main suspects. In an effort to destroy every layer of the network and safeguard critical national assets, communication traces, cash flows, and external interfaces are being examined.
As Nigeria’s security establishment works to ensure that what officials describe as a well-funded, coordinated threat never moves beyond the planning stage, the Defence Headquarters has confirmed that indicted personnel will face appropriate military judicial panels after the investigation is finished and reports are sent to higher authorities.
