Following a coup plot by the military to overthrow the current democratic system of government and its administration in Nigeria, the 65th Independence Day celebration of the country annually held on October 1st was cancelled.
The New Daily Prime, a few days after the cancellation of the Independence Day celebration reported that 16 senior military officers have been arrested in connection to the planned coup.
The Nigerian military, through its Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, earlier dismissed the claims as false and malicious, clarifying that the detained officers were being investigated for professional misconduct not for plotting a coup.
The situation intensified after soldiers reportedly raided the Abuja home of former Bayelsa State Governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, as part of an investigation by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).
The DIA also interrogated top officials of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) over alleged financial links to the case. Despite the rumours, the Defence Headquarters reaffirmed its unwavering loyalty to President Bola Tinubu, stressing that there was no attempt to undermine Nigeria’s democracy.
The Federal Government also dismissed the coup reports, insisting the arrests were purely disciplinary matters within the armed forces.
In response, Tinubu announced a major shake-up in military leadership, appointing General Olufemi Oluyede as the new Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Waidi Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke as Chief of Air Staff, and Rear Admiral Idi Abbas as Chief of Naval Staff, while Major General Emmanuel Undiendeye retained his post as Chief of Defence Intelligence. The Presidency explained that the changes were routine and aimed at strengthening national security.
Reacting to the coup plot, security expert and former DSS officer Adams Abuh has urged Nigerians to remain calm, describing the situation as the work of “a few bad eggs” within the military rather than a sign of institutional disloyalty.
Speaking with The New Daily Prime in an exclusive interview, Abuh praised Nigeria’s intelligence community for its swift detection of potential threats, noting that even if there were elements of conspiracy, it still amounted to a violation of military ethics.
“No member of the Armed Forces should ever contemplate changing a government through any means other than democratic processes,” he said.
He emphasised that the incident should not be seen as a failure of the military but rather proof that the system is working to identify and discipline erring officers.
In the same vein, Tinubu has announced change in the controversial pardon granted to 175 convicts, including kidnappers, drug traffickers, and fraudsters, following public outrage.
After consultations with the Council of State, the list was reduced to 86 from 175.
Commenting on the development, Abuh explained that the purpose of imprisonment was reformation, and the government likely had evidence that those pardoned had shown genuine remorse.
He, however, acknowledged that the government’s decision to review and revoke certain pardons was justified.
He urged security agencies to continue monitoring released convicts to ensure they do not relapse into crime, warning that “the long arm of the law will always catch up with repeat offenders.”
