Finally, the presidency has dismissed reports and rumours of an alleged coup plot to oust the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It has also reaffirmed its confidence in the military’s loyalty to the federal government of Nigeria .
Speaking on a national television programme, monitored in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital on Tuesday October 28, 2025, the Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication to the President, Sunday Dare, said there was “no coup attempt” anywhere in the country, saying that the government fully aligns with the military’s position which had earlier denied such reports.
In the programme, Dare stressed that the military remains the constitutionally recognized institution responsible for safeguarding Nigeria’s sovereignty and unity, adding that the President has full trust in their professionalism and allegiance.
“We are going to stick to the narrative of the military because they are the ones constitutionally empowered to secure this country. They are given the power, arms and ammunition as the intelligence power.
“So when the military says these are the reasons why we have this development, we are going to stay with that narrative because that is the brief that is out there. Until the military comes with a different narrative, we are going to stay with that narrative. On some military being detained, there is a need to have institutional memory and maintain a balance and this decision was not taken on a flip for the person that was detained.”
However, the Presidency’s response, coming two weeks after and amid heightened public anxiety and its silence, even when evidence on ground appear to confirm their veracity, which had gone viral on social media had given room to apprehension in the last few days.
It’s also coming on the heels of the sacking and reshufflement of top security service chiefs in the country, an action observers say it’s a coup de grace against the coup plotters. But it was silent on the current detention of top military brass in the armed forces and the investigation and arrest of some alleged civilian collaborators.
Dare, one of the presidential Spokesman, had earlier, in a statement last October 24, 2025 informed Nigerians that President Bola Tinubu has made changes in the hierarchy of the Security Service Chiefs in furtherance of the efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria to strengthen the national security architecture.
According to his statement, “the President appointed General Olufemi Oluyede to replace General Christopher Musa as the new Chief of Defence Staff. The new Chief of Army Staff is Major-General W. Shaibu. Air Vice Marshall S.K Aneke is Chief of Air Staff while Rear Admiral I. Abbas is the new Chief of Naval Staff. Chief of Defence Intelligence Major-General E.A.P Undiendeye retains his position.”
The new security helmsmen have since been cleared by the Senate and sworn into their new offices by the president, who also had the first close door meeting with them last Monday, October 27 at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where he charged them to earn the confidence reposed in them by elevating professionalism, vigilance and camaraderie within the Armed Forces.
But despite this denial, investigations into the suspected coup plotters and their collaborators still continue.
It was recently reported that security operatives allegedly raided the Abuja and Yenagoa homes of former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva and former Bayelsa state governor in connection with the alleged coup plot.
Security sources said a “special military team” conducted the raid after intelligence linked a “former South-South governor” to secret meetings with some of the detained officers.
The Sources also revealed that Sylva’s brother, identified as Paga, was arrested during the raid, while the former minister was said to have fled the country days earlier. The search reportedly extended to his residence in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
Although there has been no official statement from the military regarding the raids, insiders described the operation as a “targeted response” to intelligence pointing to possible political involvement in the alleged coup discussions.
However, a spokesperson of the former governor and minister confirmed these raids but exonerated his principal over involvement in any coup plot, saying, “it’s the handiwork of his political enemies.”
The social media has been awashed in the last 48 hours with news that military intelligence has apprehended Samuel Ogbuku, the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), for allegedly aiding the failed coup attempt.
We learnt that military intelligence indicate that the MD was detained for reportedly transferring a substantial amount of money to Timipre Sylva, who has been implicated as one of the backers of the alleged effort to topple the government. Investigators suspect the funds were intended to finance the coup against President Bola Tinubu.
One report stated that, “The MD sent a significant sum of money to Sylva. Investigators are exploring the possibility that the fund transfer was linked to the coup. He is currently being questioned about the purpose of the funds.”
The Defence Intelligence Agency has reportedly detained at least 16 senior officers from the Army, Navy, and Air Force over the matter. Family members of the officers claim they have been held for weeks without communication or formal charges.
Nevertheless, Nigerians are wondering why these events are happening at the same time. They see them as a coup de grace against the coupists. During the presidency’s mum, news leaked out that the coupists planned to launch their horrendous act last October 25. So, the Presidency quickly moved in.
However, some Security experts have raised concerns over DIA’s direct handling of the case, instead of allowing the respective military services to manage their personnel internally; a move that has led some analysts to describe it as a “politically motivated coup.”
