One military source told SaharaReporters that some of the officers were being punished not for direct involvement in any plot, but for allegedly having prior knowledge of suspicious activities and failing to alert authorities.
The Nigerian military has submitted to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu the report of its internal investigation into 16 serving officers detained over alleged links to a coup plot.
Multiple senior security sources and officials at the Presidential Villa confirmed that the report, compiled by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), was handed over to the President after more than two months of investigations, interrogations and internal reviews, according to Daily Trust.
The probe, according to officials, focused on what the Armed Forces described as acts of “indiscipline and breach of service regulations” by the affected officers.
The arrests of the officers, which became public in October 2025 after reports by SaharaReporters, sparked widespread speculation of an alleged attempt to destabilise President Tinubu’s administration.
At the time, SaharaReporters reported that several officers across the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force had been arrested in Abuja over an alleged plot to overthrow President Tinubu's government.
However, both the Defence Headquarters and the Presidency initially denied that the arrests were connected to any coup attempt, insisting instead that the officers were being held over internal disciplinary matters.
Despite the denials, the incident was widely linked in public discourse to the sudden cancellation of the October 1, 2025, Independence Day parade, a development that fuelled rumours of unrest within the military.
According to sources familiar with the latest report, the DIA concluded its assignment and forwarded its findings to President Tinubu in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
A senior security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Daily Trust that the submission of the report marked the end of the investigative phase and cleared the way for presidential directives on the next line of action.
“Those tasked with investigating the involvement of the officers have concluded their work and submitted their report to the President,” the source was quoted as saying.
“Once Mr President reviews and gives approval, further actions will be taken in line with military procedures.”
While details of the report remain closely guarded, officials indicated that the officers were indicted for conduct considered incompatible with military ethics and regulations.
It remains unclear whether the President will order a court-martial or approve other forms of disciplinary sanctions.
A separate source at the Presidential Villa confirmed to the newspaper that President Tinubu had been fully briefed on the investigation.
The source reportedly added that the military authorities presented evidence suggesting that the issues went beyond routine disciplinary infractions.
“They briefed Mr President that the matter was serious,” the source was quoted as saying.
“The report indicated that there were actions by some of the detained officers that aligned with what the media initially reported.
“The President is expected to study the report carefully before deciding on the appropriate response.”
The detained officers include a Brigadier-General, a Colonel, four Lieutenant Colonels, five Majors, two Captains, a Lieutenant, a Lieutenant Commander from the Nigerian Navy and a Squadron Leader from the Nigerian Air Force.
Security sources disclosed that the officers were drawn from different formations and units, with a significant number belonging to the Infantry Corps, the Army’s frontline combat arm.
The highest-ranking officer among them, Brigadier-General Musa Abubakar Sadiq, has been repeatedly named in media reports as the suspected leader of the alleged plot.
Sadiq, an infantry officer from Nasarawa State, had previously been linked to alleged misconduct, including a reported detention in 2024 over accusations of diverting palliatives and selling military equipment.
Beyond the military investigation, the case has also attracted attention due to reports of the deteriorating health of some of the detainees.
On January 23, 2026, SaharaReporters reported that at least five of the detained officers had fallen ill while in custody, with claims that two of them collapsed due to worsening conditions.
According to the report, the officers were allegedly moved from their initial detention facility at the DIA to an underground military cell in Abuja, described by sources as dark and poorly ventilated.
Family members and associates of the officers have since raised the alarm over what they described as inhumane detention conditions and prolonged denial of access to legal counsel and relatives.
One military source told SaharaReporters that some of the officers were being punished not for direct involvement in any plot, but for allegedly having prior knowledge of suspicious activities and failing to alert authorities.
“One of them wasn’t even involved,” the source claimed. “He is being punished for being aware but not reporting.”
Families of the detained officers have also voiced frustration over what they described as months of silence from military authorities regarding the whereabouts and well-being of their relatives.
Some spouses told SaharaReporters that they were not informed when the officers were transferred from one facility to another and had been denied visits since the arrests.
“We have been completely cut off from them,” one of the wives said. “We don’t know where they are being held, whether they are alive or sick. We are planning to protest at the DIA to demand answers.”
Another wife complained that the families had been plunged into financial hardship after the officers’ bank cards were confiscated at the time of arrest.
“We cannot access their accounts, pay school fees or meet basic family needs,” she said.
The case has also drawn political attention following reports that military operatives raided the Abuja residence of former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, in connection with the investigation.
SaharaReporters had reported that the raid, which took place in Maitama, Abuja, was carried out after intelligence allegedly linked the former governor to meetings with some of the detained officers.
Sylva later confirmed that soldiers visited his residence but denied any involvement in the alleged plot, describing attempts to link him to the case as politically motivated.
In October 2025, the former Director of Defence Information, Brigadier-General Tukur Gusau, stated that the officers were apprehended during what he described as a “routine military exercise” and that their grievances were largely related to career stagnation and failed promotion examinations.
Similarly, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, had dismissed reports of a coup plot as unfounded, urging the public to rely on official briefings from the military.