Nigerian Army Raids Abuja Home of Buhari’s Former Petroleum Minister, Timipre Sylva — Arrests His Brother Over Alleged Coup Plot Under DIA Probe
Several top-ranking security operatives have confirmed that a raid was recently carried out by the Nigerian Army at the Maitama, Abuja residence of former Bayelsa State Governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, over an alleged coup plot currently under probe by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).
According to multiple accounts obtained by PulseNets from a Sahara Reporters investigation, the operation was executed by a special military team following intelligence reports that allegedly linked the former South-South governor to a series of secret meetings with some detained military officers connected to the ongoing coup investigation.
A senior military source familiar with the development told PulseNets, “The Nigerian Army’s special unit stormed Sylva’s residence after intelligence suggested his possible involvement. He is believed to have already left the country. His brother, Paga, was arrested during the raid, and the operation also extended to his Bayelsa residence.”
Another top insider spoke to PulseNets, disclosing that the raid was “not a random sweep but a calculated move based on credible intelligence linking specific political figures to the alleged coup network.”
Security operatives learnt that no official statement has yet been released by the Army or the DIA regarding the operation, but the action has already generated significant concern within Nigeria’s security circles.
This dramatic raid comes amid mounting anxiety within the armed forces following Sahara Reporters’ earlier revelations that at least 16 senior officers across the Army, Navy, and Air Force have been held incommunicado for more than three weeks at an undisclosed DIA facility in Abuja.
Family members of the detained officers told PulseNets they initially believed their loved ones had been kidnapped, as there was no official word from the military hierarchy about their whereabouts or alleged offenses.
One distraught relative recounted, “It’s been over 18 days since our brother was taken away. We first thought he was kidnapped until a friend from the NSA office quietly confirmed what really happened.”
Meanwhile, some defence analysts reported to PulseNets that the DIA’s direct handling of the investigation, instead of allowing each military branch to discipline its own officers, was “unusual and politically motivated.”
A retired senior officer told PulseNets, “If this was purely a military disciplinary issue, thousands could be affected. So why only 16? Why the DIA? This looks more political than professional. Something deeper is at play.”
Growing speculation now points to a possible political dimension to the alleged coup and the arrests, with suspicions of involvement by certain ex-office holders linked to the late former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
Timipre Sylva, a former governor of Bayelsa State and a long-time political ally of Buhari, served as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources between 2019 and 2023. He also contested as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the November 2023 Bayelsa governorship election, which he ultimately lost to the incumbent Governor Douye Diri of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Also Read: Supreme Court Affirms Douye Diri’s Re-election, Dismisses Timipre Sylva’s Appeal
For now, neither the Army nor the DIA has issued an official statement regarding the alleged raid or Sylva’s reported involvement, but security watchers believe this latest twist marks a new phase in what could become one of Nigeria’s most politically sensitive military investigations in recent years.
