Fresh details have emerged from ongoing investigations into the alleged coup plot to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with security sources indicating that financial trails connected to the aborted plan were traced to accounts reportedly associated with former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva.
Operatives of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), working in collaboration with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), allegedly tracked significant financial transactions linked to the foiled coup attempt to accounts connected to the former governor.
According to reports, Sylva came under the radar of investigators after some detained military officers reportedly identified him as a major financier of the alleged plot. Sylva, a former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, is also a prominent member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Sources disclosed that when preliminary findings were first presented to President Tinubu, he reportedly expressed scepticism and demanded verifiable evidence. This, according to the sources, led to an expanded investigation involving the EFCC and NFIU, resulting in a comprehensive review of suspicious financial transactions.
Officials familiar with the probe said the combined findings of the DIA, NFIU, and EFCC were sufficiently detailed to convince the President that the alleged plot went beyond speculation and amounted to a concrete attempt to undermine constitutional order.
Investigators also confirmed that several military officers, including a Brigadier General, Colonels, Lieutenant Colonels, and a Captain, allegedly confessed to their roles in the plot. The officers reportedly revealed that they were “conscripted” into the plan, which was said to involve the use of drones and advanced technology rather than large-scale troop deployment.
Sylva was further accused of being aggrieved over his exclusion from the Tinubu administration and was also alleged to be involved in illegal bunkering and other illicit activities in the Niger Delta.
Security sources noted that earlier indications that the identities of the officers involved would be made public ahead of a general court martial have since materialised as the investigation deepened.
Amid the unfolding probe, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) reportedly carried out a raid on Sylva’s residence in Abuja, contradicting earlier claims that the operation was conducted by the military. Sources said the raid was part of efforts to gather additional intelligence related to the investigation.
However, Sylva has strongly denied any involvement in the alleged coup plot. In a statement issued by his media aide, Julius Bokoru, the former governor described the allegations as politically motivated and aimed at damaging his reputation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Bokoru confirmed that Sylva’s residence sustained damage during the raid but claimed that no warrant or explanation was provided by the operatives. He added that Sylva and his wife were out of the country at the time, with the former governor reportedly undergoing medical checks in the United Kingdom before travelling to Malaysia for a professional engagement.
The statement further emphasised Sylva’s long history of democratic participation and loyalty to the APC leadership, insisting that he had no direct or indirect role in any plot against the Tinubu administration.
