Alleged Coup: NDDC Boss Breaks Silence Over Reported Arrest
The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, has firmly refuted circulating claims suggesting he was arrested in connection with an alleged coup plot.
According to information obtained by PulseNets, Dr. Ogbuku clarified that he is “very much at work and currently attending the Commission’s official meeting with Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries, and Directors in Port Harcourt.” The meeting, which was aired live on Arise TV, featured the NDDC boss urging stakeholders to “design and implement frameworks that will sustainably transform the future of the Niger Delta.”
The clarification followed a wave of false media reports alleging his arrest — reports that have since been widely discredited.
An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Yekini Nabena, who spoke to PulseNets, dismissed the reports as baseless.
“We woke up to see some fabricated social media stories claiming Dr. Sam Ogbuku had been arrested — for what exactly?” Nabena asked. “He was live this morning at the ongoing Agricultural Summit in Port Harcourt, speaking on two national TV channels. This alone should silence those spreading lies. The public should ignore such fake news for what it is — fake.”
PulseNets learnt that the controversy coincided with growing online chatter about an alleged coup plot, which has unsettled public discourse in recent days.
In a related development, former Bayelsa State Governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, confirmed on Wednesday that his Abuja residence was raided by security operatives. However, he categorically denied having any involvement in the purported plot.
“Yes, my residence was searched, but I have no connection whatsoever to any coup claims,” Sylva reportedly told close associates.
Over the past week, Nigeria has witnessed an unusual surge in rumours of a coup plot, prompting widespread reactions across political circles.
Also Read: NDDC at 25: How Samuel Ogbuku is Rewriting the Niger Delta Story
Last Friday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced a major reshuffle of the nation’s service chiefs, a move many analysts have linked to tightening internal security coordination.
However, both the Nigerian military and the Federal Government have consistently maintained that there is no credible threat to democratic governance in the country, urging citizens to disregard unverified reports.
