A secret intelligence mission jointly carried out by the Nigerian Army Headquarters and the State Security Service (SSS) reportedly stopped an alleged plan to remove President Bola Tinubu from office and target top political leaders, according to PREMIUM TIMES.
Sources within the administration said the suspected plot started to come apart in late September 2025 after a military officer, said to have inside knowledge of the scheme, alerted the Chief of Army Staff at the time, Olufemi Oluyede. The officer reportedly decided to speak up out of fear that remaining silent could implicate him in treason.
At about the same period, the SSS was said to have independently gathered intelligence suggesting that certain serving officers were working on plans to destabilize the government and disrupt democratic rule. The SSS Director-General, Oluwatosin Ajayi, reportedly shared these findings directly with the army chief.
With intelligence coming from multiple channels, both security agencies agreed to move quickly but quietly. They launched a coordinated nationwide operation aimed at apprehending the alleged masterminds and their associates without attracting public attention.
On September 30, 2025 — the same day President Tinubu travelled to Imo State for an official engagement — security operatives carried out the arrests. Several key suspects, including military personnel and civilians, were taken into custody. Senior defence officials, including the Chief of Defence Intelligence and the Chief of Defence Staff at the time, were later briefed, and the suspects were transferred to a Defence Intelligence Agency detention facility.
After the initial crackdown, President Tinubu was informed of the alleged plot. He subsequently cancelled the Independence Day parade scheduled for October 1 and approved the formation of a special investigative panel led by defence intelligence authorities. Further arrests followed. One detained suspect reportedly escaped but was later recaptured by SSS operatives in Bauchi State. Meanwhile, a retired general and a former state governor accused of supporting the plot were said to be at large.
In the aftermath, changes were made in the military leadership. The then Chief of Defence Staff and the heads of the navy and air force were retired, while Olufemi Oluyede was elevated and appointed as the new Chief of Defence Staff. The former defence chief later returned to government service as Minister of Defence.
Initially, the Defence Headquarters described the arrests as part of a routine disciplinary investigation linked to service conduct and career-related grievances. Despite multiple media reports pointing to a coup attempt, the military publicly downplayed those claims at the time.
However, on January 26, authorities confirmed that some officers were indeed under investigation for attempting to unlawfully remove the government. The military announced that affected personnel would face a judicial panel in accordance with the Armed Forces Act. Officials said the probe followed due process and reviewed all available evidence.
Sources familiar with the investigation said several top officials were allegedly listed as primary targets, including the president, vice president, senate president, and speaker of the House of Representatives. The suspects were also said to have planned to detain senior military commanders and rely on insiders for movement intelligence, with the broader objective of installing military rule.
