- Nigeria’s Defence Intelligence Agency, working with the NFIU and EFCC, uncovered funds allegedly linked to an aborted coup attempt
- Former Bayelsa State governor Timipre Sylva was named as the key financier, though he strongly denied involvement
- Confessions from senior military officers revealed plans to use drones and advanced technology rather than heavy troop deployment
Fresh revelations indicated that operatives of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), working with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had traced large sums of money linked to the aborted coup attempt to the accounts of former Bayelsa State governor, Timipre Sylva, Daily Sun reported.
Investigators reportedly pursued Sylva, who had also served as Minister of State for Petroleum, after he was named by some of the arrested officers as a key financier of the plot to topple President Bola Tinubu’s government.
Source: Getty Images
President Tinubu demanded evidence
Sources told Daily Sun that when President Tinubu was first briefed about the coup attempt, he doubted the claims and requested concrete proof. This led the DIA to involve the NFIU and EFCC in tracking the financial transactions.
The findings from the three agencies were said to have convinced the president that there had indeed been an attempted coup.
Military officers confessed involvement
According to DailySun, it was confirmed that several officers, including a Brigadier General, Colonels, Lieutenant Colonels and a Captain, had confessed to their roles in the plot. They allegedly revealed that they were “conscripted” into the plan, which involved using drones and advanced technology rather than heavy troop deployment.
Daily Sun also reported that Sylva, who was said to be aggrieved over his exclusion from the Tinubu administration, was also accused of engaging in illegal bunkering and other illicit operations in the Niger Delta. Investigations into the coup were said to have been concluded and were expected to be submitted to the president soon.
Months ago, military sources suggested that the identities of the officers involved would be made public in the coming weeks ahead of a General Court Martial which has now turned out to be true.
DSS raid on Sylva’s residence
It was further gathered that Sylva’s Abuja residence had been raided by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), contrary to earlier reports that the military carried out the operation.
Sylva later broke his silence, denying any involvement in the alleged coup. In a statement issued by his media aide, Chief Julius Bokoru, he accused “desperate and narcissistic politicians’’ of spreading false reports to undermine him ahead of the 2027 elections.
Bokoru described Sylva as a “thoroughbred democrat’’ who had consistently supported President Tinubu. He recalled that Sylva had mobilised the entire All Progressives Congress (APC) structure in Bayelsa State to endorse Tinubu at a recent stakeholders’ meeting.
Statement from Sylva’s camp
Bokoru confirmed that Sylva’s residence was damaged during the raid and that no explanation was given by the operatives. He added that Sylva and his wife were outside the country at the time, with Sylva undergoing a medical check in the United Kingdom and preparing to attend a professional conference in Malaysia.
The statement read:
“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, we 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.
“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 has no involvement, whatsoever—either in planning or in logistics—with any such plot.
“Chief Sylva is a thoroughbred democrat, whose entire political journey has been defined by his faith in democratic processes and institutions. From the 1990s, when he was first elected into the Old Rivers State House of Assembly, to his tenure as governor of Bayelsa State, Sylva has achieved every milestone through transparent, democratic engagement and the will of the people.
“His unwavering support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a matter of public record. It remains fresh in memory how he mobilised the entire Bayelsa APC structure to unanimously endorse President Tinubu at the APC Bayelsa Expanded Stakeholders’ meeting.”
Source: Getty Images
Governor under watch over alleged coup plot
Legit.ng earlier reported that a former governor from one of Nigeria’s southern states is reportedly under investigation for his alleged involvement in a coup plot said to have targeted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
According to sources who spoke to Daily Trust, suspicions emerged that the former governor might have financed the alleged plan to oust Tinubu, which was reportedly scheduled for Saturday, October 25.
Source: Legit.ng
