The veil of secrecy has been lifted on a high-stakes conspiracy that nearly plunged Africa’s most populous nation into chaos. Nigerian security agencies have released the full list of 40 suspects, including top-ranking military generals, accused of orchestrating a violent plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu.

In a revelation that sends tremors across the continent, investigations have confirmed that the plot was not merely idle talk but a well-funded, operational machine. The suspects, a mix of senior army officers, a police officer, and civilians, were allegedly in the advanced stages of reconnaissance, funding, and propaganda to justify a military takeover. The disclosure marks a decisive moment for Tinubu’s administration, which has faced murmurs of instability since taking power.

The Anatomy of Treason

The list reads like a roll call of the trusted elite turned traitor. Among those named are Brigadier General M.A. Sadiq of the Army Headquarters Garrison and Colonel M.A. Ma’aji of the Defence Space Administration. These are men with access to the highest levels of national security intelligence.

According to the Premium Times investigation, the plotters had initially targeted the May 2023 inauguration for disruption but were thwarted by logistical failures. Undeterred, they reactivated their cells in 2025, allegedly bankrolled by a former governor and a retired general. The investigation revealed a chilling scope of intent: assassination targets included not just the President, but the Vice President, Senate President, and Service Chiefs.

• The Funding Trail: Intelligence points to massive transfers—nearly N1 billion (approx. KES 150 million)—funneled through Bureau De Change operators to finance the coup. This exposes the dark underbelly of the informal financial sector in facilitating state crimes.
• The "Propagandist": Perhaps most disturbingly, the list includes Stanley Kingley Amandi, described as a "propagandist." His role was reportedly to incite civil disobedience and craft a narrative that would make a military intervention palatable to the public—a tactic straight out of the modern coup playbook seen in Burkina Faso and Mali.

A Continent on Edge

For Kenya and the wider East African region, the events in Abuja are a cautionary tale. The involvement of a "Julius Berger Villa Electrician" and a "Villa Ambulance Driver" in the plot underscores how deeply the conspiracy had penetrated the Presidential Villa. It suggests that the threat to power often comes not from the streets, but from the corridors.

Authorities are now preparing for what promises to be the trial of the decade. With suspects tracked as far as South America and a manhunt underway for the financiers, the message from Abuja is clear: the era of the coup is not over, but the state is watching. For President Tinubu, surviving the plot is one victory; delivering justice without fracturing the military will be the real war.