Fresh intelligence reports have revealed new details about an Air Force officer allegedly ordered to assassinate the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, as part of a foiled coup plot against the Tinubu administration.
According to TheCable, Squadron Leader SB Adamu, a Nigerian Air Force officer from Jigawa State with service number NAF/3481, was deployed to the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) — an agency under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) — about four weeks before the coup attempt was uncovered.
Investigators disclosed that Adamu was allegedly instructed to “take out” Ribadu to clear the way for the plotters’ plan. He was identified as the only officer connected to the ONSA, contrary to earlier reports suggesting widespread infiltration of the office.
Sources also revealed that when Major General Adamu Garba Laka, the National Coordinator of NCTC, requested the posting of a specific officer in August 2025, his request was turned down, and Squadron Leader Adamu was sent instead — raising suspicions of internal manipulation.
Adamu, a member of Regular Course 59 of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), is said to be cooperating with military investigators.
The development follows President Tinubu’s recent dismissal of two service chiefs — General Christopher Musa and Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar — amid mounting tension within the security establishment.
Reports suggest that, in addition to Ribadu, other senior government officials were also marked for assassination as part of the alleged coup plot.
While the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has not confirmed the findings, it acknowledged that 16 officers are currently under investigation. In a statement, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, Director of Defence Information, described the probe as “a routine internal process aimed at maintaining discipline and professionalism.”
He added that the outcome of the investigation would be made public in due course.
Meanwhile, questions continue to swirl over why the authorities have downplayed reports of a coup attempt despite mounting evidence from multiple intelligence sources.
