₦airaland Forum

Btruth:
Coup with N836m ($607,000)? Was that not a cheap coup? 🤔

edlion57:
How about insecurity..who is bankrolling the boko haram and others

edlion57:
How about insecurity..who is bankrolling the boko haram and others

Wotowotoman:
835 million naira (less than a million dollars) to plan a whole coup? 🤔

Nextjs:
Who is sponsoring the daily killings going on in Nigeria?

In every week about 200 dies of violent death and nothing is done about it.

grtfem:
It is now very obvious that your noise on the social media is nothing but a display of ignorance, your opinion remains largely yours and yours only.

OJUENDAN:
No worry, hand go touch all of una very soon.
Children of hate.

temitope27:
who tell you that

nairalanda1:
Why do you think boko raids villages ,.steals cattle and kidnaps people for ransom?

It's not just for food.

BreakingNews21:
Nice job Premium Times. Wondering why Sylva won't pick his calls and if he is making medical progress with his mystery health malady. They say UK doctors are some of the best in the world.
Also, let the court-martials of those traders that were in the military begin immediately. 🤨

Wotowotoman:
Traders ke?

nairalanda1:
Why do you think boko raids villages ,.steals cattle and kidnaps people for ransom?

It's not just for food.

UgoMmiri:
Why do I have the feeling that they're going after the opposition supporters?

So long as the government initially denied the coup, then there was no coup.

This is purely 2027 witch-hunt.

I don't know why Tinubu is jittery?

He has already won the 2027 election.

I and my family will personally vote for him.

So I don't understand the reason for the witch-hunt.

Eagleways:
are you trying to say that those he wanted to overthrow are any better with our resources?

fergie001:
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/859193-exclusive-the-two-persons-accused-of-bankrolling-alleged-coup-plot-to-overthrow-tinubu.html

7upnigeria:
I believe someone bigger than Timipre Silva is involved. Atiku, Elrufai, Obj I don't trust those guys.

edlion57:
How about insecurity..who is bankrolling the boko haram and others

Nigeria paid Boko Haram ransom for kidnapped pupils: intel sources

Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) – The Nigerian government paid Boko Haram militants a "huge" ransom of millions of dollars to free up to 230 children and staff the jihadists abducted from a Catholic school in November, intelligence sources told AFP.

Issued on: 23/02/2026 - 13:10

Two Boko Haram commanders were also freed as part of the deal, which goes against the country's own law banning payments to kidnappers.

The money was flown on a helicopter to Boko Haram's Gwoza stronghold in northeastern Borno state on the border with Cameroon and delivered to Ali Ngulde, a militant commander in the area, three sources told AFP.

Due to the lack of communications cover in the remote area, Ngulde had to cross into Cameroon to confirm delivery of the ransom before the first group of 100 children were released.

The decision to pay the jihadists, who sparked worldwide protests after they kidnapped 276 mostly Christian girls in Chibok in 2014, is also likely to irritate the US and President Donald Trump, who has cast himself as a defender of the country's Christians.

https://www.rfi.fr/en/international-news/20260223-nigeria-paid-boko-haram-ransom-for-kidnapped-pupils-intel-sources

blaise26abj:
Remove Atiku and Obj from that list. Only El Rufai does not seem beyond such . If Atiku uses all the money he used for elections, he could have raised a formidable army and taken over NW and NE .

OBJ is very pro-democracy with a military mindset .

El Rufai and his South Kaduna history fits perfectly .

Okjay:
So this is how they bankroll themselves?. They use the money sold from cows to buy sophisticated weapons abi? What a country? What a human being.?

opes:
Sylva was a former governor and a former highly ranked minister, yet he was still not satisfied. He wanted more at his age, even if it meant setting Nigeria on fire. He allowed greed and selfishness to ruin him.

blaise26abj:
Under a democracy ? Yes ! Every president has maximum of 8 years to leave . Buhari as terrible as he was as a president , has left office and also left the world . No matter what Tinubu does he cannot go beyond 2031 if God permits . But you see military rule ehn ? It is a 50:50 thing for life or until another coup . If you get a bad military leader , you are stuck with him for decades or until he dies . That is a risk no country should take . Even Trump cannot go beyond 2028.

blaise26abj:
Anyone who thinks overthrowing Tinubu by these guys is for the greater good is delulu. Over 700 million by Timipre is an investment to be reaped in multiple folds . Na just another gang of thieves and murderers wey wan chop.

fergie001:
Timipre Sylva & Moses Zakwa Accused Of Bankrolling Coup Against Tinubu - PT by fergie001: 6:10am
Security agencies investigating the alleged coup plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu have identified two persons who allegedly funnelled N835 million through two private companies to bankroll the alleged conspiracy, PREMIUM TIMES can exclusively report.

Former Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva allegedly contributed the largest share of N785 million. Investigators alleged that the funds were transferred through Purple Waves Limited, an Abuja-based construction company. The firm’s secretary, John Ebokpo, has since been arrested by security operatives and remains in detention.

Mr Sylva, who served as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources under former President Muhammadu Buhari, is accused of being the principal financier of the failed plot and remains at large.

PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported his alleged role, but the exact figures he donated have only now emerged. The former governor, who is still at large, has denied any role in the coup.

Mr Sylva’s precise connection to Purple Waves Limited is not immediately clear. Company records at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) did not list him as a director or shareholder. The firm was registered in March 2009 for construction, building, and maintenance activities.

Efforts to call Mr Sylva on his known telephone line were unsuccessful. Attempts to contact his spokesperson, Julius Bokoru, and other directors of Purple Waves Limited also failed as calls to their known telephone numbers did not connect.

When PREMIUM TIMES visited Purple Waves’ office address in Abuja on Monday, a security guard at the location informed our reporter that the office had been shut down for about “four to five months” — a period that coincides with the wave of arrests made by security operatives in connection with the alleged coup.

The second alleged sponsor, Moses Zakwa, is accused of contributing N50 million through Clay Ring Services Limited, a Lagos-based firm where he is listed as a director. The company is registered for property renovation, development, and management services.

Little is known about Mr Zakwa. A search of his digital footprint yielded nothing. However, in 2014, a man bearing the same name led members of the Kibaku Youth Association in a peaceful protest at the Alausa Secretariat in Ikeja, demanding the release of abducted schoolgirls in Borno State. It is unclear whether that is the same individual now in the custody of security agencies.

PREMIUM TIMES reached out to other directors of Clay Ring Services, but their phone numbers were unreachable. Benjamin Okwumabua, one of the directors listed in the company’s CAC filings, said he is not related to the company.

Last month, the Defence Headquarters announced that investigations had been completed and forwarded to the “appropriate superior authority in line with extant regulations.”

The military disclosed that the findings identified “several officers with allegations of plotting to overthrow the government,” describing such conduct as “inconsistent with the ethics, values, and professional standards required of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.”

PREMIUM TIMES reported that 40 suspects are detained, including senior military officers across the armed forces, a police officer, and civilians allegedly involved in reconnaissance, funding, and propaganda operations of the coup.

The suspects were captured in a covert intelligence operation coordinated by the Army Headquarters and the State Security Service (SSS).

An unspecified number of civilians remain in custody, being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the SSS for alleged roles in financing, logistics, and coordination. Others have been granted bail.

The investigation also identified retired Major General Adamu as one of the key figures connected to the network. Mr Adamu remains at large alongside Mr Sylva.

Intelligence sources disclosed that one of the fleeing suspects was tracked to a country in South America, though his exact location has not been officially disclosed for security reasons.

PREMIUM TIMES previously reported that the alleged coup plotters initially planned to disrupt the handover of power from former President Buhari to President Tinubu on 29 May 2023, during the presidential inauguration.

However, the plan was suspended due to insufficient funds and inadequate logistical arrangements. The alleged conspirators reactivated their plans in 2025 after Mr Sylva wired the funds.

Sources said authorities are awaiting presidential approval to formally constitute a court-martial panel to try the soldiers involved.

The failed plot was allegedly masterminded by Alhassan Maaji, a colonel with service number N/10668. Mr Maaji and other military officers allegedly planned a violent takeover in which top government officials were marked for elimination.

Earlier, knowledgeable and reliable sources told this newspaper that the alleged plotters planned to assassinate President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, Service Chiefs, and the Commander of the Guards Brigade, among others.

Some officers were also assigned to take full control of the Presidential Villa, the Niger Barracks, the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) Complex, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

Investigators have since recovered two gun trucks, anti-aircraft guns, PKT guns, RPG bombs, AK-47 rifles, ammunition, and tactical gear from AA Hayatu, a lieutenant colonel attached to the 130 Battalion Main.

In addition to the weapons cache, investigators seized four Toyota Hilux trucks, one Toyota Prado SUV, two Toyota saloon cars, and 32 Volkswagen Golf vehicles allegedly procured for covert operations.

“All recovered exhibits are in the custody of the DIA,” one source said, adding that “recovered funds have been lodged into the Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police account domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria.”
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/859193-exclusive-the-two-persons-accused-of-bankrolling-alleged-coup-plot-to-overthrow-tinubu.html