Top intelligence sources who spoke with Premium Times have disclosed how a group of military officers accused of plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu and destabilise Nigeria’s democracy planned their actions.
The officers, approximately 20 in total, were arrested and detained for their involvement in a coup attempt.
According to Premium Times, the incident caused significant tension within the government, prompting the presidency to make the unprecedented decision to cancel the National Independence Day parade on October 1, 2025.
An insider source familiar with the unfolding events provided details to the platform mentioned above, revealing that the suspected coup plotters initially set October 25 as their target date for staging the coup.
The source disclosed, “That was the tentative date. If things did not work out that day, they were prepared to continue plotting.”
The decision to cancel the Independence Day parade, typically held on October 1, was based on concerns that the military ceremony could be compromised, with the government choosing caution over risk.
A senior officer revealed, “The parade could have been held since the arrests were made before October 1. But the government did not want to take any chances given it was a military event.”
Key Targets Of The Coup Plot
Though specific identities of the arrested officers remain unclear, sources close to the investigation revealed that key government officials were targeted for assassination by the suspected coup plotters.
Among those allegedly marked for execution were:
President Bola Tinubu
Vice President Kashim Shettima
Senate President Godswill Akpabio
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas
A source revealed, “There are other people targeted, but these are the key targets. They were planning to eliminate all of them simultaneously.”
According to further intelligence, the plotters had worked with informants in the Presidential Villa and were closely monitoring the movements of the targeted officials.
“They wanted to kill them all at the same time and install a military government,” the source added.
The coup plotters aimed to strike on a specific day when all targeted officials would be in Nigeria. “They were targeting the day when all of them would be in the country, and wherever they were, they would be eliminated.”
According to Premium Times, in a statement issued on October 4, Brigadier-General Tukur Gusau, spokesperson for the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), stated that the arrested officers were being investigated for “indiscipline” and “breach of service regulations.”
Gusau further clarified that preliminary investigations indicated the officers’ grievances were tied to career stagnation and failure in promotion examinations.
Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has also denied claims that the October 1 Independence Day Parade was cancelled due to a potential military coup.
Additionally, the DHQ rejected suggestions that the sixteen officers currently under investigation were directly linked to the alleged coup attempt against President Tinubu.
