Unease in Abuja and beyond, creating an atmosphere of tension as the Nigerian Army intensifies its crackdown following a thwarted coup attempt.
Authorities are now on high alert, actively working to apprehend those suspected of orchestrating this bold plot against the state.
In a dramatic turn of events, armed military operatives stormed Abuja home of Timipre Sylva, the former governor of Bayelsa State and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources.
The shadows of his once-quiet home now bristle with the tensions of uncertainty and the heavy presence of law enforcement, as the nation grapples with the fallout from this serious breach of security.
Sylva, in a statement by his media aide, Julius Bokoru, also denied involvement in any attempt to topple President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government.
It was gathered that soldiers had, on Sunday, raided Sylva’s Abuja and Bayelsa residences and arrested his brother.
The managing director of a federal agency located in the South-South was also said to have been arrested and interrogated by security agencies for allegedly transferring funds to Sylva for the purported coup financing.
Penultimate weekend, there were reports that 16 army officers were arrested and detained over an alleged coup attempt which was rumoured to have forced the president to cancel the October 1 Independence Day Anniversary parade.
But the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) dismissed the report as false and malicious, claiming the cancellation of the parade had nothing to do with any alleged coup attempt.
The DHQ had also clarified that the arrest and ongoing investigation of the officers reported in the media was a purely internal process aimed at upholding discipline and professionalism within the ranks, not a politically motivated action.
This is even as Daily Trust learnt that the number of army officers detained over the alleged coup plot had grown to 42.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had, on Friday, made changes in the hierarchy of the Service Chiefs in what the Presidency explained was part of efforts to strengthen the national security architecture.
Major-General Olufemi Oluyede replaced General Christopher Musa as the new Chief of Defence Staff, while Air Vice Marshal S.K. Aneke was appointed Chief of Air Staff, and Rear Admiral I. Abbas became Chief of Naval Staff. The Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major-General E.A.P. Undiendeye, was retained.
According to the Daily Trust reports that a former governor from one of the southern states was being investigated for alleged links with the detained army officers.
Sources told Daily Trust that there was suspicion that the former governor financed the alleged plot, which was reportedly scheduled for October 25.
Sylva’s media aide, while responding to reports linking his principal to the rumoured coup, stated yesterday that some politicians were taking their desperation to a sickening level following his “intimidating political presence and credibility”.
He described the former governor as an unrepentant and thoroughbred democrat, who had shown unwavering support to Tinubu and his administration.
He recalled that Sylva recently mobilised the entire structures of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa to unanimously endorse President Tinubu at the APC Bayelsa expanded stakeholders’ meeting.
Bokoru said the security operatives that raided Sylva’s house did not provide any reason for their action.
He confirmed that Sylva and his wife were already out of the country at the time of the raid.
Explaining their absence, Bokoru said Sylva was in the United Kingdom for routine medical checks and would soon be on his way to Malaysia to attend a professional conference.
Bokoru said: “In the past forty-eight hours, I have been inundated with calls from members of the press, political associates, and concerned individuals regarding a circulating report alleging that His Excellency, Chief Timipre Sylva, has ‘fled’ the country in connection with certain purported matters.
“For the avoidance of doubt, it is true that the residence of His Excellency, Chief Timipre Sylva, was recently subjected to a raid by individuals believed to be operatives of the Defence Headquarters. During the said operation, considerable damage was inflicted upon the property.
“Despite sustained efforts, I have been unable to ascertain the reasons or authorisation for this raid. To the best of my knowledge, the officers involved did not provide any categorical explanation for their actions, either at the time or subsequently.
“It is important to state unequivocally that His Excellency, Chief Timipre Sylva, CON, and his esteemed wife, Her Excellency, Alanyingi Sylva, were both outside the country at the time of the incident.
“As at my last communication with His Excellency, he was engaged in a routine medical check-up in the United Kingdom, after which he was scheduled to proceed to Malaysia to attend a professional conference.
“The next development I was made aware of, regrettably, were reports circulating across social media and other platforms concerning the raid on his residence.
“While the Defence Headquarters has already debunked the swirling rumours of a coup in Nigeria, it is important to state emphatically that Chief Timipre Sylva, CON, has no involvement whatsoever, either in planning or in logistics with any such plot.
‘Detained military officers now 42’
Sources at the Defence Headquarters, who spoke anonymously to Daily Trust, revealed that more officers had been detained in connection to the alleged coup attempt, bringing the number of the detainees to 42,
“So far, 42 officers have been picked up. They are being interrogated to establish the depth of involvement and whether there was any concrete plan beyond mere discussions,” one of the sources said.
Another source stated that the number could rise as the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the military police continued to trace communication links and funding trails.
Meanwhile, the Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication to the President, Sunday Dare, while appearing TVC yesterday, said the Presidency aligned with the position of the military authority on the rumoured coup attempt.
He noted that the Armed Forces remain the constitutionally empowered institution to secure Nigeria’s unity and territorial integrity, adding that the Tinubu administration has confidence in their loyalty.
“We are going to stick to the narrative of the military because they are the ones constitutionally empowered to secure this country. They are given the power, arms and ammunition as the intelligence power.
“So, when the military says these are the reasons why we have this development, we are going to stay with that narrative because that is the brief that is out there.
“Until the military comes with a different narrative, we are going to stay with that narrative,” Dare said.
‘Why FG may not confirm coup plot attempt’
In an interview with one of our correspondents, a security expert and retired military officer, Bashir Galma, said the government might not confirm the alleged coup plot in order not to scare investors away.
Source: Daily Trust
