Security operatives investigating an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu have reportedly detained a Managing Director of a Federal Government agency in the South-South region for questioning.
According to top intelligence sources, the official was arrested over a suspicious large fund transfer to former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and ex-Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva. Investigators believe the money may have been linked to efforts to finance the purported coup attempt.
“The MD transferred a huge sum to Sylva, and investigators are exploring the possibility that the funds were meant to support the coup plot. He’s currently being interrogated about the purpose of the payment,” one source told The PUNCH.
In a related development, military operatives on Saturday raided Sylva’s Abuja residence, arresting his younger brother, Paga Sylva, who serves as his Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs, along with his driver.
Sylva, who is also a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was reportedly outside the country during the operation. Sources close to the investigation revealed that he had planned to return to Nigeria but changed his mind after learning of the arrest of some alleged coup plotters.
“He was abroad and preparing to return when news of the arrests broke. He decided to stay back,” another insider disclosed.
Efforts to reach the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye, and the Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Tukur Gusau, for official comments were unsuccessful as they did not respond to calls from reporters.
Earlier this month, on October 4, Brig. Gen. Gusau had announced that 16 military officers were detained over “breaches of service regulations and acts of indiscipline.” He explained that the detentions followed a routine internal exercise and that the officers’ grievances stemmed mainly from frustrations over career stagnation and failed promotion exams.
However, a separate report by SaharaReporters alleged that the detained officers ranging from Captain to Brigadier General were actually being held by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) for their involvement in a failed coup plot.
According to the report, the officers were picked up in coordinated operations across the country and accused of holding secret meetings aimed at overthrowing President Tinubu’s government.
While official military sources continue to maintain that the detentions were purely disciplinary, ongoing interrogations and the latest arrests suggest that security agencies are expanding their probe into the alleged conspiracy.
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