At Last, DHQ Confirms Thwarted Coup Plot, 16 Officers Set for Martial Court

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) announced on Monday that a Special Investigative Panel has concluded its probe into 16 officers indicted for serious misconduct, including an alleged plot to overthrow the Tinubu administration.

Maj.-Gen. Samaila Uba, Director of Defence Information, confirmed in an Abuja statement that the personnel—first arrested in October 2025—will now face a military Court Martial.

The panel’s findings suggest the officers breached service regulations and acted in a manner inconsistent with the professional ethics and values of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

According to Uba, the investigation followed established military procedures to ensure all circumstances surrounding the personnel’s conduct were thoroughly examined.

He explained that the measures being taken were “purely disciplinary and part of internal institutional mechanisms to preserve discipline, cohesion and operational effectiveness within the ranks”.

He said:“The commitment of the Armed Forces to professionalism, loyalty and respect for constitutional authority, assuring the public that due process and fairness would be strictly observed throughout the proceedings”.

The detained officers included a Brigadier-General, a Colonel, four Lieutenant Colonels, five Majors, two Captains, a Lieutenant, a Lieutenant Commander from the Nigerian Navy and a Squadron Leader from the Nigerian Air Force.

Their names were given as:

Brigadier General Musa Abubakar Sadiq (Nasarawa, 44th Regular Course)

Colonel M.A. Ma’aji (Niger, 47th Course)

Lt Col S. Bappah (Bauchi, 56th Course)

Lt Col A.A. Hayatu (Kaduna, 56th Course)

Lt Col Dangnan (Plateau, 56th Course)

Lt Col M. Almakura (Nasarawa, 56th Course)

Major A.J. Ibrahim (Gombe, 56th Course)

Major M.M. Jiddah (Katsina, 56th Course)

Major M.A. Usman (FCT, 60th Course)

Major D. Yusuf (Gombe, 59th Course)

Major I. Dauda (Jigawa, DSSC 38)

Captain I. Bello (DSSC 43)

Captain A.A. Yusuf

Lieutenant S.S. Felix (DSSC)

Lieutenant Commander D.B. Abdullahi (Navy)

Squadron Leader S.B. Adamu (Air Force)

Most of the officers, sources said, belong to the Infantry Corps, Signals Corps, and Ordnance Corps.