An air force officer recently posted to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) was detailed to kill Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser (NSA), The Cable has quoted sources familiar with the investigation of the alleged coup plot as saying.
SB Adamu, a squadron leader with service no NAF/3481 from Jigawa state, was posted to the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) — a programme coordinated by ONSA — four weeks before the alleged coup plot was botched.
Contrary to reports that many of the suspects were working with the ONSA, Adamu was the only one linked to the office through the NCTC.
The NCTC is one of the programmes coordinated by the ONSA.
Military sources revealed that when Adamu Garba Laka, a major general and national coordinator of NCTC, requested for a specific officer to be posted to the centre in August 2025, he was surprised that his request was not approved.
Instead, Adamu was posted to the office — and this is now fuelling speculation that the alleged coup plotters had infiltrated the military hierarchy.
Adamu was a member of regular course 59 of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).
President Bola Tinubu recently fired two of his services chiefs, including Hasan Abubakar, an air marshal amidst the alleged coup plot.
The detailed squadron leader was allegedly detailed to “take out” Ribadu just as some other officers were tasked with killing other senior government officials, TheCable was informed.
He is said to be cooperating with investigators.
The report of the alleged coup plot has continued to garnered attention in the country, even though the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) insisted, in a press statement after Sahara Reporters broke the story, that the ongoing investigation of 16 officers is a “routine internal process aimed at ensuring [that] discipline and professionalism is maintained within the ranks”.
Tukur Gusau, a brigadier and director of defence information, said the findings of the investigation will be made public.
