Alleged Coup Plot: Presidency  Reacts As Military Raids Fmr Gov’s Home, Arrests Brother, Agency’s MD

By Akinwale Kasali

“We are sticking with the narrative of the Military that there was no aborted Coup” – Presidency

As the rumour of an alleged aborted Coup plot against the Government of President Bola Tinubu continues to grow wings, the Presidency has finally reacted. It said it believes the Military that there was no such thing as an aborted Coup plot.

Recall that the rumour started when it was revealed that about 16 Military Officers, including a Brigadier-General, are in custody over an alleged Coup plot. The story was first broken by SaharaReporters.

Nothing much was thought about it then, but members of the public started adding two and two together, especially, with the sudden cancelation of the October 1 Military Parade to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary by the Federal Government.

The Military was forced, so to say, to confirm the arrest and detention of the officers, and denied  their detention has anything to do with an aborted Coup plot.

Explaining why they were detained, the Director of Defence Information, Brig-Gen Tukur Gusau said: “The Armed Forces of Nigeria wishes to inform the public that a routine military exercise has resulted in the arrest of sixteen officers over issues of indiscipline and breach of service regulations.

“Investigations have revealed that their grievances stemmed largely from perceived career stagnation caused by repeated failure in promotion examinations”.

But, the sudden removal of three Service Chiefs of the Army, Navy and Airforce, as well as the Chief of Defence Staff. and their immediate replacement added fire to an already burning house. While the Chief of Army Staff was removed from office, he was elevated to the office of the Chief of Defence Staff, meaning that the Army, Navy and Airforce, now have new Service Chiefs.

While Nigerians were still trying to process the situation, a dangerous and confusing angle was introduced on Tuesday, September 27, with the alleged raid, by soldiers, of the homes of the immediate past Minister of State, under the late President Muhammadu Buhari’s Government, Timipere Sylva, at both Abuja and Bayelsa for alleged connection with the alleged aborted Coup. Sylva, a former Governor of Bayelsa State and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, was allegedly named by one of the Military officers arrested as a financier of the alleged aborted Coup.

During the raid, Sylva was not at home, but his younger brother Paga Sylva, who serves as his Special Assistant, Domestic Affairs, was, allegedly, arrested.

Sylva, according to reports, was out of the country, preparing to head back home when he heard the news of the arrest of the 16 Military Officers, and so aborted the trip home.

Also, under custody, is a yet-to-be publicly named Managing Director of a South-South based Federal Government Commission who, allegedly, moved a large sum of money to one of Sylva’s bank accounts. Investigators, it is said, want him to explain what the moved large sum of money was meant for.

These stories have put not a few people on edge with questions such as – “Why would Sylva be involved in such a dangerous venture? Is he crazy? What will he be looking for?

While neither the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, nor the Military has said a word since the Tuesday “update”, the Presidency says it stands by what the Military said earlier on – that there was no such thing as an aborted Coup.

Sunday Dare, a Presidential Spokesperson, in a chat with TVC insisted: “We are going to stick with the Military’s narrative that there was no coup  attempt in Nigeria.”