Fresh details have surfaced in the ongoing investigation into an alleged coup plot, in which a recently deployed Nigerian Air Force officer was reportedly assigned to assassinate the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
According to sources familiar with the probe, Squadron Leader S. B. Adamu (Service No. NAF/3481), from Jigawa State, was posted to the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) — a unit under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) — just four weeks before the suspected plot was uncovered.
While earlier reports indicated that several suspects were attached to ONSA, sources have now clarified that Adamu was the only officer linked to the office through the NCTC.
Military insiders revealed that in August 2025, Major General Adamu Garba Laka, the National Coordinator of the NCTC, had requested the deployment of a specific officer to the centre. However, the request was reportedly declined, and Squadron Leader Adamu was sent instead — a development that is now raising questions about possible infiltration or influence by the alleged plotters within the military hierarchy.
Adamu is said to be a member of Regular Course 59 of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).
In recent weeks, President Bola Tinubu has relieved two service chiefs of their duties, including the former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, fuelling speculation about possible internal divisions within the armed forces.
However, the Defence Headquarters has maintained that the ongoing detention and investigation of 16 military officers are part of a standard internal disciplinary process.
Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, reaffirmed that the findings of the probe would be made public upon conclusion.
Meanwhile, media reports continue to uncover the identities and backgrounds of the officers allegedly linked to the plot, as security agencies intensify efforts to determine the full scope of the conspiracy.
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