Crime
Rumoured coup plot: N11bn found in detained colonel’s bank accounts
According to an officer familiar with the investigation, the colonel, who served directly under a brigadier general now also under probe, had previously been deployed in the Niger Delta region.
“When interrogated, the colonel claimed that the funds belonged to a former governor, whom he described as his business partner. He insisted that the money was meant for a legitimate business transaction,” the source said.
How probe unfolded
The ongoing probe is part of a wider investigation that began after intelligence reports in August 2024 suggested that some serving military officers were allegedly plotting to overthrow the government.
Security sources disclosed that the Defence Intelligence Agency began tracking communications, financial movements, and foreign contacts linked to the suspects months before any arrests were made.
“The coup plotters have been under the radar since August 2024, when the service got wind of the plot. They mapped out three different times to strike, two of which were the June 12 Democracy Day and the October 1 Independence Day this year,” a source said.
“They met in the UK and Turkey this year. But the DIA was patiently gathering facts and evidence before swooping on them.”
DIA’s intervention
Intelligence gathered during surveillance reportedly led to a review of presidential movements.
Security sources said President Bola Tinubu’s frequent stays in Lagos and his reduced presence in Abuja were partly influenced by ongoing security assessments at the time.
“The first countermeasure taken was to divert the President’s movement in recent times,” one source noted.
“There was credible intelligence that they would execute the coup operation on October 1, and that was why the Independence Day celebration was cancelled. It was an operation that lasted for over a year, since August last year. But the service was ahead of them because they had access to their communications.”
Service chiefs’ sacking
Last Friday, President Tinubu dismissed all the service chiefs and replaced them.
The removal of the former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, was partly due to a public statement issued by the Defence Headquarters confirming the arrest of 16 officers.
A credible security source said, “Information about the arrest of the 16 officers shouldn’t have been in the public domain,” a source said.
“The management of the situation was essential because they didn’t want people to have justification for the plot. The international community might begin to misinterpret the situation. The fact that the Chief of Defence Staff was careless by disclosing that they arrested 16 officers was a bad approach to management. That carelessness necessitated the change of the service chiefs.”
The source noted that the move to dismiss all the service chiefs at once was meant to mask the disciplinary intent and prevent speculation that Musa alone was being punished.
Muted public reactions
Although the Defence Headquarters denied any coup attempt, insisting that the arrested officers were only undergoing internal scrutiny, ongoing DIA operations have continued to suggest otherwise.
Two weeks ago, online platform Sahara Reporters reported that 16 military officers were detained in connection with a coup plot.
Since then, further arrests and raids—including the Tuesday search of the Abuja residence of former governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva—have been linked to the same investigation.
A report by Premium Times, which revealed the identities of the alleged coup plotters, showed that 15 of the detained military personnel are from the northern parts of the country.
Their states of origin include Nasarawa, Niger, Bauchi, Kaduna, Plateau, Gombe, Katsina, Jigawa, and the Federal Capital Territory.
A security source said the restrained communication from the authorities was to prevent political tension and ethnic suspicion within the military hierarchy.
Officials are said to be cautious about publicising the regional identities of the suspects, which could be misinterpreted as a targeted move against northern officers and could further destabilise the already sensitive power balance in the armed forces.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Air Force has approved the redeployment of some senior officers to key command and staff positions.
A statement on Friday said it was part of efforts to enhance operational efficiency and align NAF structure with the leadership vision of the new Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke.
No fewer than 19 officers received new appointments, while six others were posted to various defence and inter-service establishments.
The statement, issued by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the restructuring was aimed at improving decision-making, strengthening coordination across units and commands, and reinforcing readiness in response to current security challenges.
Aneke’s decision to reshuffle senior officers comes just a day after his counterpart in the Nigerian Army also announced a major reorganisation of top commanders.
Source: PUNCH
Two police officers have been killed after suspected armed herders ambushed the convoy of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Ayilamo, Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.
The latest attack occurred on Monday evening, barely four days after another deadly incident in the community reportedly left four policemen and seven residents dead.
Community sources said the DPO had travelled to Makurdi on official duty and was returning to Ayilamo when his entourage came under attack.
One of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the victims were among newly deployed Mobile Police officers stationed in the area.
He said the officers were attacked at about 6pm while travelling from Ayilamo to escort the DPO back to the community from Makurdi.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, DSP Peter Aondongu, said two officers attached to the DPO’s entourage were killed in the attack.
“The DPO came to Makurdi to collect some things, and while returning to Ayilamo, he was attacked and lost two of his men in the attack,” Aondongu said.
The latest incident has raised fresh concerns over the security situation in Ayilamo, where repeated attacks have resulted in casualties among security personnel and residents.
The Nigeria Police Force has placed its formations nationwide on red alert following intelligence reports of planned terrorist attacks on worship centres, schools, NYSC orientation camps and other public places.
The alert followed fresh intelligence indicating increased mobilisation of terrorist elements for possible coordinated attacks on vulnerable targets across the country.
Police authorities also reportedly received intelligence on the movement of armed elements from Katsina through Kaduna towards Plateau State.
The operational order was contained in a police wireless message dated September 13, 2026, with reference number CB: 0900/FDPS/DOPS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL38/68, issued by the Department of Operations at Force Headquarters, Abuja.
Marked “Security General” and tagged “Treat as Very Important,” the message was circulated to Assistant Inspectors-General of Police overseeing Zones 1–17, Mobile Police formations, counter-terrorism and other specialised units, as well as Commissioners of Police in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The police directed formations to intensify vigilance and take proactive measures to prevent criminal and terrorist elements from carrying out attacks.
The warning specifically highlighted places of worship, educational institutions, NYSC orientation camps and other vulnerable public locations as potential targets.
A 16-year-old boy, Favour Ayogu, who was allegedly abducted in Igboeze South Local Government Area of Enugu State, has been rescued in Onitsha, Anambra State, after his abductors reportedly abandoned him near a security checkpoint.
Ayogu was rescued on the evening of September 13, 2026, by a joint security patrol team operating along Oguta Road, Onitsha.
According to the Anambra State Police Command, the teenager was found at Ekene Junction after unidentified persons reportedly pushed him out of a black Toyota Highlander SUV close to a security checkpoint.
The patrol team immediately intervened and rescued the victim, thereby preventing what the police described as further danger to his life.
Following the rescue, the Command said it had intensified surveillance and intelligence-led operations to identify and apprehend members of the suspected criminal gang responsible for the abduction.
The police also appealed to residents of Igboeze South and Ibagwa-Aka in Enugu State who may have useful information about Ayogu or his family to contact the nearest police station or the Anambra State Police Command in Awka.
The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, commended the security personnel involved in the rescue and directed officers to sustain strategic checkpoints, intelligence-led patrols and coordinated security operations across the state.
The Command assured residents and visitors that it would continue to intensify efforts to prevent criminal elements from using Anambra as a safe haven.
At least nine passengers have been killed after gunmen opened fire on a commercial bus at Dungus Junction in Kuru community, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The attack reportedly occurred around 9:40 p.m. when the bus, which was travelling towards Jos, stopped at the junction to drop off some passengers.
Several other passengers were reportedly injured in the attack and rushed to hospitals for treatment.
Lawan Suleiman, a neighbour and teacher of one of the victims, identified the driver as Ibrahim and said three of the victims were from his community in Bukuru.
“The driver is Ibrahim and he was my student. Three of them are from our community here in Bukuru. Their bodies have been deposited at the hospital. But relatives are preparing to collect them for burial,” Suleiman said.
The bus was reportedly riddled with bullets, with bloodstains visible inside the vehicle after the attack.
Rwang Tengwong, spokesman for the Berom Youth Moulders (BYM), also confirmed the incident, saying the victims were passengers travelling to Jos when the attackers opened fire on the vehicle.
Tengwong said one of those killed was a member of Operation Rainbow.
“The incident happened around 9.40 p.m. The victims were all passengers travelling to Jos when the terrorists opened fire on the vehicle. Among those killed was a member of Operation Rainbow. It is a very sad development and we lament the loss of lives,” he said.
He added that some passengers sustained gunshot injuries and were taken to hospitals, while some of the injured reportedly later died.
The attack has raised fresh concerns over the safety of commuters travelling along the route at night amid continuing security challenges in parts of Plateau State.
As of the time of filing this report, the Plateau State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
The Enugu State Police Command has ordered an investigation into two separate incidents of alleged disruption of political gatherings in Nkanu West Local Government Area of the state.
The incidents reportedly occurred on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at Ndiuno-Obuoffia community and St. Joseph Primary School, Agbani.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said the Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to thoroughly investigate the incidents and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
According to the statement, armed hoodlums allegedly disrupted a National Democratic Congress (NDC) ward meeting at Ndiuno-Obuoffia with sporadic gunshots, leaving two attendees injured.
In a separate incident at St. Joseph Primary School, Agbani, hoodlums allegedly destroyed canopies and chairs arranged for a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rally.
The police said operatives were promptly deployed to both locations after receiving reports of the incidents to prevent further breaches of peace and track down the fleeing suspects.
The Command, however, noted that neither of the political gatherings had been formally brought to the attention of the police for security coverage.
CP Giwa reiterated his warning that all political activities in the state must be conducted peacefully and in accordance with the law.
He stressed that electoral offences are punishable under the law and warned political parties, candidates, supporters and other stakeholders against violence, intimidation, destruction of property and other acts capable of disrupting public peace or the electoral process.
The Commissioner urged political parties and other stakeholders to notify the police ahead of campaigns, meetings, rallies and other political gatherings to enable the Command to make adequate security arrangements.
He assured residents that the police would continue to maintain a peaceful and secure environment for lawful political activities while dealing decisively with anyone found violating the law.
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