A retired Army General, Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, has been arrested alongside military officers and civilians accused of allegedly planning a forceful overthrow of President Bola Tinubu’s government.
Gana, who hails from Niger State and is the Danmagayaki of Nupe, was detained a week after his son, Lieutenant Colonel Sadiq Ibrahim-Gana, was arrested by military intelligence operatives.
Lieutenant Colonel Ibrahim-Gana, formerly the Commanding Officer of 115 Battalion, Askira, Borno State, is among 35 military officers currently in custody over the alleged coup plot.
“A retired Army General, Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, was also arrested. He is said to be the one who helped the alleged mastermind of the coup, Colonel Alhassan Ma’aji, gain admission into NDA in August 1995.”
“Being Ma’aji’s godfather, they believed he was aware of the plan, although no further links were traced to him,” a military source said.
The source added, “His son, a Lieutenant Colonel, was also arrested, but nothing was traced to him as he was actively fighting Boko Haram in Borno. Many civilians, including mechanics and even a Julius Berger staff, have been detained for allegedly supporting the plot, despite having no knowledge of it.”
Earlier reports also indicated the arrest of Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, a policeman from Taraba State, who is now in the custody of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).
Among the 35 detained officers are: an Army Brigadier General, 2 Colonels, 5 Lieutenant Colonels, 1 Wing Commander (Air Force equivalent of Lieutenant Colonel), 8 Majors, 1 Lieutenant Commander (Navy equivalent of Major), 2 Squadron Leaders (Air Force equivalent of Major), 5 Captains, and a Lieutenant.
Ten non-commissioned officers (NCOs), including a Warrant Officer, 5 Sergeants, 1 Corporal, and 2 Lance Corporals, are also being held.
The detainees come from across the country, including Osun, Bayelsa, Nasarawa, Niger, Katsina, Kaduna, Plateau, Kano, Gombe, Bauchi, Kebbi, Jigawa, Zamfara, Taraba, Yobe, Kogi, Sokoto, and Adamawa States.
SaharaReporters had previously reported in October 2025 that the DIA arrested several military officers in Abuja over an alleged coup plot against President Tinubu.
Despite initial denials from the Defence Headquarters, Monday’s update formally acknowledged that some of the detained officers were investigated for allegedly planning to overthrow the government.
Families of the detained officers have raised concerns about prolonged incommunicado detention, denial of access to lawyers and relatives, and poor detention conditions.
Some officers reportedly fell ill, with two collapsing due to worsening conditions while in custody.
The case has drawn political attention following reports that military operatives raided the Abuja residence of former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, in connection with the investigation.
Sylva denied any involvement and described attempts to link him to the plot as politically motivated.
