By Charles Pemu 
Abuja, Nigeria — Military investigators delving into an alleged plot to forcibly overthrow President Bola Tinubu are escalating their inquiry, with a Managing Director of a Federal Government agency in the South South region reportedly undergoing intense questioning.
Intelligence sources confirmed the MD was arrested for allegedly transferring a huge sum of money to former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, who has been fingered as a key financier of the purported coup plot. Investigators are working on the premise that the money transfer was intended to fund the unconstitutional change of government.
A source familiar with the investigation stated that the MD is currently “answering questions about what the money was meant for,” as investigators connect the fund transfer directly to the alleged scheme.
The investigation has also directly targeted the former Bayelsa Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain. Sylva’s Abuja residence was raided over the weekend, resulting in the arrest of his younger brother, Paga, his Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs and his driver.
Sources with knowledge of the operation explained that the former Minister was outside the country during the raid. He was reportedly preparing to return to Nigeria when he received news of the arrest of the primary coup leaders, prompting him to immediately shelve his travel plans and remain abroad. Investigators strongly believe Sylva was one of the alleged financiers of the plot.
Military’s Official Line Versus Counter-Allegations
Publicly, the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) has offered a more subdued explanation for the detention of military personnel. The Director of Defence Information, Brig-Gen Tukur Gusau, previously stated that sixteen officers were arrested over “issues of indiscipline and breach of service regulations.” He claimed their grievances were primarily due to perceived career stagnation stemming from failing promotion examinations.
However, the online platform SaharaReporters earlier offered a sharp contrasting narrative, alleging that the detained officers who hold ranks from Captain to Brigadier General are being held by the Defence Intelligence Agency for actively plotting to overthrow the government. Citing an unnamed official, the platform alleged that the military authorities are being “diplomatic” and that the officers were holding secret meetings on how to overthrow the President and other top government officials.
Military spokesmen, Maj-Gen Markus Kangye and Brig-Gen Tukur Gusau, could not be reached for comment on the matter.