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“We Planned to Strike on October 1”: Chilling Confessions Reveal Plot to Assassinate Tinubu, Shettima

Nuus Editor

ABUJA — The Nigerian military has blown the lid off the secrecy surrounding the October 2025 arrests, revealing that the 16 indicted officers have confessed to a coordinated plot to “decapitate” the civilian leadership and suspend the constitution.

Sources privy to the final report submitted to President Bola Tinubu by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) confirmed that the suspects, led by Brigadier General Musa Abubakar Sadiq, have provided detailed accounts of how they intended to turn the Independence Day celebrations into a bloodbath.

The confessions, obtained during months of interrogation, paint a picture of a conspiracy driven by a mix of “messianic delusions” and anger over the country’s economic trajectory.

The “Decapitation” Strategy

According to the investigation file, the plotters confessed that their primary objective was not just a takeover, but the simultaneous elimination of the nation’s top four citizens.

  • The Targets: The officers admitted to a plan to target President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
  • The Method: The ringleaders planned to exploit the security lapses during the proposed October 1 parade to launch a “precision strike” using compromised units within the Guards Brigade.

“They confessed that the goal was to create a constitutional vacuum,” a top intelligence source told nuus.ng. “They believed that by removing the entire line of succession in one day, the military would be ‘forced’ to step in to restore order.”

The Ringleader’s Manifesto

Brigadier General Musa Abubakar Sadiq, identified as the mastermind, reportedly told investigators that the coup was a “patriotic duty” to save Nigeria from what he termed “economic strangulation.”

Sadiq, an infantry officer from Nasarawa State (44th Regular Course), allegedly recruited the other 15 officers—including Colonel M.A. Ma’aji and Lieutenant Colonel S. Bappah—by leveraging frustrations over the removal of fuel subsidies and the high cost of living.

“He did not deny the plot,” the source added. “In his statement, he claimed they were acting on behalf of the suffering masses. He cited the depreciation of the Naira and ‘reform fatigue’ as the justification for their treason.”

Betrayal from Within

The confessions also revealed how the plot unraveled. The conspiracy collapsed when a junior officer, who was approached to smuggle armaments into the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), reported the overture to the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI).

This “mole” recorded several planning meetings, providing the DIA with the undeniable evidence that forced the plotters to confess when confronted.

The Indicted 16

The military high command has now formally listed the officers who will face a Special Military Court Martial. The list includes:

  1. Brigadier General Musa Abubakar Sadiq (Ringleader)
  2. Colonel M.A. Ma’aji
  3. Lt. Col. S. Bappah
  4. Lt. Col. A.A. Hayatu
  5. Lt. Col. Dangnan
  6. Major I. Dauda …and 10 others drawn from the Infantry, Signals, and Navy.

Defence Headquarters Reacts

In a statement issued on Monday by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, the military confirmed that the “findings identified a number of officers with allegations of plotting to overthrow the government.”

General Uba emphasized that the Armed Forces have purged the “bad eggs” and that the upcoming court martial will send a definitive message that the era of military adventurism is closed forever.