Ex-DasukiGate Detainee, Brig. Gen. Ashinze, Now Central Figure In Probe Into Alleged Coup Plot Against Tinubu
Ex-DasukiGate Detainee, Brig. Gen. Ashinze, Now Central Figure In Probe Into Alleged Coup Plot Against Tinubu
It remains one of the country’s largest corruption cases, shaping debates about accountability in the military and government.
Fresh revelations have revealed that Brigadier General Nicholas Ashinze, once detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over his alleged role in the billion-naira arms fund diversion scandal known as #DasukiGate, is a central figure in the ongoing probe into an alleged coup plot.
#DasukiGate refers to Nigeria’s infamous $2 billion arms procurement scandal under former National Security Adviser (NSA) Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd.), where funds meant for fighting Boko Haram were allegedly diverted to politicians, contractors, and cronies.Politics news Nigeria
It remains one of the country’s largest corruption cases, shaping debates about accountability in the military and government.
In October 2025, SaharaReporters exclusively reported how some military officers had been arrested by the Defence Intelligence Agency in Abuja over an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s government.
The DIA, established in 1986, is Nigeria’s primary military intelligence body. It is responsible for gathering and providing intelligence to the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence to counter security threats, safeguard national integrity, and support military operations, including ongoing efforts against terrorism and insurgency.
Ashinze, now serving as Director of Fusion at the DIA, is said to have been deeply involved in the investigative panel from its earliest stages.
His prominent role has raised questions among observers about the credibility and neutrality of the process, given his past entanglement in one of Nigeria’s most notorious corruption scandals.
He is joined by other key military figures. Major General R.E. Hedima, who was rewarded with the position of Chief of Military Intelligence, had at the time served as Principal General Staff Officer (PGSO) to the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Emmanuel Parker.
The panel itself was headed by Major General Y. Yahaya, who now commands Operation Savannah Shield in Kwara State, a major security operation launched in February 2026.
“Major General Y. Yahaya headed the highly secretive panel and is currently serving as the Theatre Commander for Operation Savannah Shield in Kwara State, launched in February 2026,” a source said.
Sources allege that members of this panel played a pivotal role in advancing controversial claims, including reports that ₦12 billion was discovered in the account of Colonel M.A. Ma’aji and that snipers had been recruited within the Presidential Villa.
Critics argue these sensational allegations were designed to drive a predetermined narrative, with some suggesting that elements of the supposed coup plot were exaggerated or even fabricated, to justify sweeping actions against certain officers.
Civil society groups and families of those detained have expressed alarm, demanding a transparent, independent, and credible process free from personal ambition, internal power struggles, or manipulation.
For them, the probe is not just about alleged conspiracies, it is a test of truth, justice, and public trust in Nigeria’s security institutions.
Observers note that the stakes are chillingly familiar. Nigeria’s history is replete with instances where military figures, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, were falsely accused of plotting coups. The current controversy, they warn, risks repeating those dark chapters.
Meanwhile, fears are mounting over the health and safety of detained officers. Families are pleading for assurances that their loved ones are alive, well, and able to defend themselves against the weight of these allegations.
Top military sources disclosed the names and departments of some senior military officers who had been detained over the alleged plot.
Among them are a Brigadier General, two Colonels, five Lieutenant Colonels, one Wing Commander (Air Force equivalent of a Lieutenant Colonel), eight Majors, one Lieutenant Commander (Navy equivalent of a Major), two Squadron Leaders (Air Force equivalent of a Major), five Captains, and one Lieutenant.
Also in custody are 10 non-commissioned officers (NCOs), including a Warrant Officer, five Sergeants, one Corporal, and two Lance Corporals.
One of the detained Army Captains, A. Yusuf, hails from Osun State, while Squadron Leader Zuzu, a senior Air Force officer, is from Bayelsa State.
Two of the officers, a Brigadier General and Lieutenant Colonel, are from Nasarawa State, while six, including three non-commissioned officers, are from Niger State.
Three are from Katsina State, including a Colonel who was undergoing a course in a North African country.
Three of the detained officers, all Lieutenant Colonels, are from Kaduna, Plateau, and Kano states.
Two Majors hail from Gombe State, while another is from Bauchi. Others come from Kebbi, Jigawa, Zamfara, Taraba, Yobe, Kogi, Sokoto, and Adamawa states.
Sources at the Defence Headquarters confirmed that the officers, drawn from the Nigerian Army, Navy, and Air Force, were arrested in coordinated operations by military intelligence operatives following weeks of covert surveillance.
However, the Defence Headquarters initially dismissed the reports, saying the arrest of the officers mentioned in the reports was unrelated to any alleged coup plot.
In January 2026, SaharaReporters exclusively reported that at least five detained officers had fallen ill while in custody, with two reportedly collapsing as their conditions worsened.
Sources disclosed that the officers were allegedly transferred from an initial DIA detention facility to an underground military cell in Abuja described as dark and poorly ventilated.
The case has also drawn political attention following reports that military operatives raided the Maitama, Abuja residence of former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, in connection with the investigation.
Sylva later confirmed the visit but denied any involvement, describing attempts to link him to the matter as politically motivated.
Despite earlier official denials of any coup plot, a statement released in January by the DHQ formally acknowledged that allegations of plotting to overthrow the government were among the findings against some of the detained officers.
