Fresh details have emerged on the group of Nigerian Army officers recently arrested for allegedly plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s government.

According to insider reports, the detained officers are attached to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), currently headed by Nuhu Ribadu, a retired police officer and the country’s National Security Adviser.

Personnel working in the ONSA are typically drawn from Nigeria’s intelligence community, the armed forces, police, and other paramilitary agencies.

Earlier in the month, SaharaReporters revealed that senior Army officers, led by a Brigadier General, were arrested for attempting to stage a coup during the October 1 Independence Day celebrations.

While the Nigerian military publicly attributed their detention to “repeated failure in promotion examinations and frustration with career stagnation,” highly placed sources insist the arrests were indeed connected to a coup plot.

A senior official of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) confirmed that intelligence reports exposed a plan to topple the government and “rescue the nation from selfish politicians.”

“The 16 officers had begun secret meetings on how to overthrow the President and key government figures,” the source disclosed. “They range from the rank of Captain to Brigadier-General and are still in detention at the DIA headquarters.”

The source further revealed that the plot led to the cancellation of the Independence Day parade — a ceremony that was scheduled to mark Nigeria’s 65th anniversary.

In a fresh update, the same official stated that most of the detained officers are Northerners serving under the NSA’s office. One of the alleged ringleaders was identified as Lieutenant Colonel Al-Makura, who recently completed a special combat course in China.

Lt. Col. Al-Makura is said to be a nephew of Tanko Umaru Al-Makura, the former Nasarawa State governor and current Chairman of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

> “He was posted to the NSA office only a few months ago after returning from China,” the source said. “Another of his brothers, also a Lieutenant Colonel, commands the 343 Artillery Regiment in Elele but has been cleared of involvement after investigations.”

According to the intelligence official, many of the younger officers in the group were allegedly “deceived into joining the plot,” and none of the suspects have been allowed contact with their families since their arrest.

As investigations continue, the military high command has remained tight-lipped, fueling public curiosity about the true depth of the alleged coup plan within one of Nigeria’s most sensitive security offices.