The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested a man in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for allegedly using social media to advocate a military takeover of the Nigerian government.
The suspect, identified as Innocent Chukwuma, was apprehended in the Oyigbo area after he reportedly posted a message on X (formerly Twitter) calling on the military to suspend democratic governance and “reset the country.”
In part, the controversial post read:
“The bastard in Aso Rock has basically sold this country to the West, and they run our intelligence apparatus. Only the military can reset this country. Support them.”
According to the DSS, the arrest followed sustained intelligence monitoring of online content deemed to threaten national security and undermine Nigeria’s constitutional order.
Officials said Chukwuma’s post violated provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, which prohibits incitement and the spread of subversive materials online.
Security sources revealed that the suspect’s posts also referenced the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a coalition formed by the military regimes of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, which recently withdrew from ECOWAS after rejecting Nigeria’s diplomatic push for a return to civilian rule.
Investigators are probing possible links between Chukwuma and any pro-junta or extremist groups.
His social media accounts have since been suspended pending further inquiry.
The arrest comes amid heightened tension and unverified reports of an alleged coup plot involving some senior military officers.
Earlier this month, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reshuffled Nigeria’s national security leadership, including the National Security Adviser and heads of the Police and Correctional Services.
The Nigerian Army has dismissed the coup speculation as false, explaining that the affected officers were merely undergoing internal disciplinary procedures.
Nigeria, which has experienced multiple military coups since independence, the last being in 1993 under General Sani Abacha, returned to civilian rule in 1999 and has remained a democracy since then, despite persistent economic and security challenges.
Authorities have expressed concern over the growing wave of pro-junta sentiment across West Africa, following recent military takeovers in the Sahel region.
The DSS reiterated that it will continue to track and disrupt any activities that threaten the nation’s peace, unity, or constitutional framework.
A DSS spokesperson cautioned Nigerians to use social media responsibly and refrain from sharing content capable of inciting unrest or undermining national stability.
Chukwuma remains in DSS custody as investigations continue.
