Shocking new details have emerged from an ongoing investigation into an alleged coup attempt against President Bola Tinubu, and what investigators are uncovering goes far beyond what was initially reported. This was not merely a plan to assassinate the President. According to findings from the investigation, the conspirators had mapped out a full-scale military takeover of Nigeria — with specific officers assigned to specific targets, a command structure in place, and weapons already in hand.
The Presidential Villa in Abuja — Aso Rock itself — was the primary target. A dedicated unit was reportedly assigned to storm the Villa, physically capture President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, and neutralise anyone who stood in their way. Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas were also listed as targets in what investigators have described as a “decapitation unit” — a term that leaves little to the imagination about the intent.
The ambition of the alleged plot did not stop at capturing political leaders. Key security figures were also on the hit list. The National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, the former Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, and the Director-General of the State Security Service Adeola Ajayi were all reportedly identified as targets in a plan designed to simultaneously collapse both political and security command structures across the country.
Investigators say the operation was broken into multiple units, each with a defined assignment. While one team was to overrun the Presidential Villa, a separate team was tasked with seizing the Niger Barracks — a strategic military formation that sits overlooking the Villa itself. Officers at that barracks were reportedly to be eliminated, including the Chief of Defence Staff and the service chiefs. Other units were assigned to take the Armed Forces of Nigeria Complex in Garki and lock down the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, cutting off escape routes and strangling any organised military response before it could begin.
Several officers have been named in connection with assigned roles. Officers identified as A.A. Hayatu, D. Yusuf, M.A. Usman, Binuga, and A.A. Yusuf were allegedly part of the team designated to attack the Presidential Villa. Lieutenant Colonel S. Bappah was reportedly assigned to eliminate the Chief of Defence Staff, while Lieutenant Colonel P. Dangnap was to target the Chief of Army Staff. A.A. Dauda was allegedly assigned to the Chief of Air Staff, and Major Jiddah was to take out the Commander of the Guards Brigade.
The alleged conspiracy is said to have involved approximately 40 suspects in total — a mix of serving military officers and civilians recruited into support roles. Among the civilians named are Umoru Zekeri, an electrician based at the Presidential Villa; Ali Isah, an ambulance driver; and in a detail that has stunned many Nigerians, Nollywood actor Stanley Kingsley Amandi, who was allegedly recruited to handle propaganda coordination in the aftermath of the takeover.
Security agencies reportedly recovered a significant weapons cache from the suspects, including gun trucks, anti-aircraft weapons, RPG bombs, machine guns, and large quantities of ammunition. Multiple vehicles — Toyota Hilux trucks and Volkswagen Golf cars — were also seized. One source described the haul as proof of “serious intent and preparedness,” suggesting the plan had moved well beyond talk into active preparation.
The suspects were arrested in a covert joint operation carried out by Army Headquarters and the State Security Service. While many remain in detention, civilians allegedly linked to logistics and financing are currently being investigated by both the EFCC and the SSS. The Defence Headquarters has confirmed that investigations have been concluded and findings submitted to higher authorities, describing the alleged conduct as a “grave breach of military ethics.”
The plot was reportedly foiled before a single shot was fired. But the chilling precision of its design — the named officers, the assigned targets, the secured weapons, the airport lockdown plan — raises one deeply unsettling question: how close did they actually get?
Arochukwu Blog will continue to follow this story as more details emerge.