A Nigeria Police Force inspector has been detained by military authorities over an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s government.
The officer, identified as Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim from Taraba State, was arrested in Abuja by operatives of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and is currently being held in the agency’s custody.
Sources told Reporters that Ibrahim’s arrest followed investigations linked to several military officers earlier detained over the alleged coup plot. Information obtained from those officers reportedly implicated the police inspector.
A military source disclosed that a total of 36 security operatives are currently in DIA custody, comprising 35 officers drawn from the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force, alongside the detained police inspector.
“Yes, among those in DIA custody is a policeman. The military officers under detention are 35, and one policeman identified as Ahmed Ibrahim. He was arrested after investigations showed his involvement in the failed attempt,” the source said.
Efforts to obtain comments from the Nigeria Police Force were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, were not returned as of the time of filing this report.
In October 2025, SaharaReporters had reported the arrest of several military officers in Abuja by the DIA over allegations of plotting to overthrow the Tinubu administration. The investigation is being handled by the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lieutenant General Emmanuel Parker Undiandeye.
The DIA, Nigeria’s primary military intelligence agency established in 1986, is responsible for intelligence gathering and countering threats to national security.
Earlier reports had named at least 16 senior military officers among those initially detained, including a Nigerian Navy officer, Lieutenant Commander B. Abdullahi. The arrests were said to have followed weeks of covert surveillance and coordinated operations across the armed forces.
On January 23, 2026, SaharaReporters reported that at least five of the detained officers fell ill in custody, with two allegedly collapsing due to worsening conditions. Sources claimed the officers were transferred to an underground detention facility in Abuja described as poorly ventilated.
Families of the detainees have raised concerns over alleged inhumane treatment, prolonged incommunicado detention and denial of access to lawyers and relatives.
The investigation has also attracted political attention following reports that military operatives searched the Maitama residence of former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva. Sylva later confirmed the visit but denied any involvement, describing the claims as politically motivated.
Despite earlier official denials of any coup plot, the Defence Headquarters on Monday, January 26, acknowledged that allegations of plotting to overthrow the government were among the findings against some of the detained officers.
