No fewer than 35 Nigerian military personnel are reportedly being detained over an alleged coup plot against the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu–led government, according to top military sources.
This reportedly contradicts the official position of the Defence Headquarters which says only 16 officers were arrested and investigated.
The Defence Headquarters, in a statement issued on Monday, said 16 officers were arrested in October 2025 over acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations, with investigations now concluded and those indicted to be arraigned before military judicial panels. 
The statement, titled “Update on Disciplinary Cases Involving Sixteen Officers Investigated for Indiscipline, Breach of Service Regulations”, was signed by the Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Samaila Uba.
“It would be recalled that the Defence Headquarters issued a press statement in October 2025 regarding the arrest of sixteen officers over acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations,” the statement read.
However, military sources familiar with the investigation told SaharaReporters that a total of 35 military personnel are currently in detention over the alleged coup plot.
According to the sources, those detained include 33 officers from the northern part of the country and the Federal Capital Territory, as well as one operative of a paramilitary organisation.
The ranks of those allegedly in custody include a brigadier general; two colonels; five lieutenant colonels; one wing commander of the Nigerian Air Force; eight majors; one lieutenant commander of the Nigerian Navy; two squadron leaders; five captains; and one lieutenant
Also reportedly detained are 10 non-commissioned officers, including a warrant officer, five sergeants, one corporal and two lance corporals.
The sources further claimed that one of the detained army captains, identified as A. Yusuf, is from Osun State, while a senior Air Force officer, Squadron Leader Zuzu, is from Bayelsa State.
One of the sources accused the military authorities of downplaying the scale of the arrests.
“The Defence Headquarters keeps deceiving Nigerians. The total number of officers under detention is 35 Army, Navy and Air Force. Why keep releasing statements claiming only 16?” the source alleged.
He further claimed that some of the detained officers were allegedly forced to admit involvement under duress and that some were recalled from overseas courses before being detained.
These allegations could not be independently verified.
Efforts by Sahara Reporters to obtain clarification from the Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Samaila Uba, were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to his line were not returned as of the time of filing this report.
