Security sources have confirmed that Nigerian soldiers reportedly raided the Abuja residence of former Bayelsa State Governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, over an alleged coup plot currently under investigation by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).

According to multiple security insiders, the operation was carried out at Sylva’s Maitama residence in Abuja following intelligence reports linking the former minister to secret meetings with some detained military officers.

A top military source revealed that a special Nigerian Army team ransacked Sylva’s home, adding that he is believed to have fled the country. “He is the South-South former governor frequently mentioned in connection with the case. His brother, identified as Paga, was arrested during the raid. The operation also extended to his Bayelsa residence,” the source said.

Another security source confirmed that while no official statement has been released, the raid was not random but a direct response to intelligence linking certain political figures to the alleged coup plot, including two serving Senators and a known moneybag from the Southeast.

The development comes just days after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced a major shake-up of the nation’s military leadership, replacing the chiefs of the army, navy, air force, and defence units. The reshuffle, made public on October 24, followed weeks of speculation about internal unrest within the armed forces and unverified reports of a coup attempt.

Earlier this month, the Nigerian Army confirmed that 16 officers were under investigation for “indiscipline and breach of service regulations.” Although the military described it as a routine internal exercise, subsequent reports suggested that the arrests were connected to a wider plot to destabilise the government, a claim the army swiftly denied.

Nevertheless, President Tinubu’s decision to overhaul the military command structure has fuelled speculation of deeper political tensions within the country’s security establishment. Political analysts say the unfolding developments may have broader implications, hinting at possible power struggles involving key figures from the previous administration.

Sylva, a close ally of former President Muhammadu Buhari, served as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources from 2019 to 2023 and was the APC governorship candidate in the November 2023 Bayelsa election, which he lost to incumbent Governor Douye Diri of the PDP.

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