The Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) has reportedly uncovered N45 billion disbursed from the accounts of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to some politically exposed persons and soldiers detained in connection with the rumored conspiracy to topple President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Earlier this month, Sahara Reporters reported that 16 Nigerian Army officers were detained for allegedly planning a coup d’etat against President Tinubu.
The online newspaper had linked the alleged plot to the cancellation of Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day by the Federal Government.
However, the military, through the Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Tukur Gusau, denied the report linking the detention of the 16 officers to a failed coup.
Nigerian Army personnel raided the Abuja residence of ex-governor Timipre Sylva, also a former Minister of State for Petroleum, in connection with the alleged coup plot currently under investigation by the DIA.
Following the discovery, DIA investigators grilled the managing director of NDDC, Samuel Ogbuku and some top officials about the sources of the funds, beneficiaries, and how the money was utilised.
The development triggered panic at NDDC headquarters over alleged links to the financing of subversive activities. The Federal Government has also denied any coup plot against Tinubu’s administration.
The Defence Headquarters described reports of a coup attempt as “false, misleading, and malicious,” stating that the 16 officers in custody are being investigated for professional misconduct, not a coup plot.
While details of the interrogation remain unclear, investigators are reportedly scrutinising a series of high-value transactions allegedly linked to politically exposed persons. Among them is a shoreline project awarded to a former governor in the South-South to the tune of N45bn, some of which allegedly reached the accounts of the detained officers.
Security sources with knowledge of the probe confirmed that the questioning of the NDDC top officials is “part of a broader intelligence-based inquiry into the movement of public funds.”
Sources in the NDDC said that top officials are apprehensive the development may trigger a broader probe into the commission’s financial dealings.
“Since the news broke about the interrogation of the top shots, the atmosphere here has been uneasy. Many directors are being cautious about their movements and communications,” said one insider on condition of anonymity.
Some executive directors closely tied to the embattled NDDC top officials are said to be worried about the unfolding situation. Staff at the commission expressed concern that the investigation could widen and implicate other senior officials.
The NDDC spokesperson, Seledi Thompson-Wakama, declined to comment when asked about the quizzing of the commission’s officials.
Meanwhile, Sylva has denied any involvement in the alleged coup plot. His Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs, Chief Julius Bokoru, said the rumor is the handiwork of “desperate and self-seeking politicians trying to actualise their ambitions in 2027.”
Sylva’s Abuja home has been raided by DIA operatives probing the controversial plot. During the raid on Saturday, operatives arrested Sylva’s younger brother, Paga, who is his Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs, as well as his driver. The former Bayelsa governor was out of the country at the time.
Bokoru clarified that nothing was removed from Sylva’s residence and the two men arrested have yet to be released. He also confirmed that Sylva’s Yenagoa residence was not raided.
Explaining their absence, Bokoru said Sylva was in the United Kingdom for routine medical checks and would proceed to Malaysia for “a professional conference.”
He stated, “It’s not true. It is the handiwork of people in the state APC who are concerned about their governorship ambition in 2027.”
He further added, “Those doing this are in the state APC. It is about the 2027 governorship ambition. They are appointees of the Federal Government and instead of focusing on their work, they are playing local toxic politics. Such wicked politicians took their desperation to a nauseating level following Sylva’s intimidating political presence and credibility that had continued to expose their self-serving ambitions and evil agenda.”
Bokoru reiterated that Sylva’s driver and younger brother remain in custody and that the Defence Headquarters operatives did not remove anything from Sylva’s Abuja residence.
However, a close associate disclosed that parts of the house were damaged during the raid. “Expensive doors were destroyed while a number of other household appliances were ransacked and scattered during the raid but nothing incriminating was found,” the source said.
He dismissed claims linking NDDC Managing Director Dr. Samuel Ogbuku to Sylva as part of the coup plot. Ogbuku, who was Sylva’s Chief of Staff while he was governor, denied being arrested, stating, “I’m not aware of such. Just the way you are seeing it is the same way I’m seeing it too on social media.”
Earlier, in a statement titled ‘Setting the record straight on recent false reports about Sylva,’ Bokoru denied Sylva’s involvement in any coup plot. He insisted that Sylva was not involved in the planning or logistics of any coup.
The statement read: “In the past 48 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.
“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 mobilized the entire Bayelsa APC structure to unanimously endorse President Tinubu at the APC Bayelsa Expanded Stakeholders’ Meeting.
“These rumours are nothing more than the handiwork of desperate and narcissistic politicians, already consumed by ambitions for 2027, who see Sylva as their last real obstacle—a man whose political presence and credibility continue to expose their dark, self-serving ambitions.”
Credit: The PUNCH