Military investigators are reportedly questioning the Managing Director of a federal government agency in the South-South region over an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu.
According to security sources, the MD was arrested for allegedly transferring a large sum of money to former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, who has been linked to financing the alleged coup attempt.
Investigators suspect the funds may have been intended to support the plot. One security source said, “The MD (name withheld) transferred a huge amount to Sylva. Investigators are working on the theory that the money was connected to the coup. He’s currently being interrogated to explain what the funds were meant for.”
Over the weekend, Sylva’s Abuja residence was reportedly raided by security operatives. During the operation, his younger brother, Paga — who also serves as his Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs — and his driver were arrested.
Sources revealed that Sylva, a former governor of Bayelsa State and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was out of the country at the time of the raid. He was said to have suspended his planned return to Nigeria after learning that several coup suspects had been arrested.
“Sylva’s house was raided on Saturday, but he wasn’t around. His younger brother and driver were taken away by investigators. The belief is that Sylva helped fund the coup plot. He was abroad and was preparing to return when he heard about the arrests and decided to stay back,” one source said.
Read Also;
Kwara gov receives 23 freed hostages, pledges to crush kidnappers
Efforts to reach the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Markus Kangye, and the Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Tukur Gusau, for comments on Tuesday were unsuccessful, as they did not respond to calls.
Earlier, in an October 4 statement, Gusau had confirmed that 16 officers were arrested for breaches of military regulations and acts of indiscipline.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria wishes to inform the public that a routine military exercise has resulted in the arrest of sixteen officers over issues of indiscipline and breach of service regulations. Investigations have revealed that their grievances stemmed largely from perceived career stagnation caused by repeated failure in promotion examinations,” the statement read.
However, reports from other sources allege that the detained officers — ranging from the rank of Captain to Brigadier General — are being held by the Defence Intelligence Agency for plotting to overthrow the government. It was also claimed that the arrests took place in different locations across the country.
