The Nigerian Army raided the Abuja residence of former Bayelsa State Governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, over an alleged coup plot being investigated by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).
According to multiple security sources, the operation was carried out by a special military team following intelligence reports linking Sylva to secret meetings with detained military officers accused of plotting a coup.
Sylva’s brother, Paga, was arrested during the raid, which also extended to his Bayelsa residence. The former governor is believed to have fled Nigeria before the operation. No official statement has been issued regarding the raid, but insiders say it was based on credible intelligence linking certain political figures to the alleged plotters.
The development comes amid growing tension within the armed forces following the detention of at least 16 senior military officers by the DIA over the alleged coup plot. The officers have been held incommunicado for over three weeks in an undisclosed Abuja facility. Families of the detained officers initially feared their relatives had been kidnapped due to the lack of official communication from the military.
Security analysts have questioned why the DIA is spearheading the investigation instead of allowing each military service to handle its personnel internally, a move seen as “highly political.” Some speculate that the alleged plot and subsequent arrests may have deeper political undertones involving individuals linked to former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, given Sylva’s close ties to the late ex-President.
