Ex-Minister Timipre Sylva’s Abuja Home Reportedly Raided in Alleged Coup Investigation; Brother Arrested

Nigerian Army personnel have reportedly raided the Abuja residence of former Bayelsa State governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, in connection with an alleged coup plot under investigation by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).

Multiple security sources confirmed that the operation took place at Sylva’s home in the Maitama district of Abuja. A “special military team” is said to have carried out the raid following intelligence linking the former governor to secret meetings with some of the detained military officers. Sylva is believed to have left Nigeria, while his brother, identified as Paga, was reportedly arrested during the raid. The operation also extended to Sylva’s residence in Bayelsa State.

While the Nigerian Army has not released an official statement, insiders described the raid as a direct response to intelligence connecting certain political figures to the alleged coup plotters.

The development comes amid rising tension in the armed forces after reports that at least 16 senior military officers from the Army, Navy, and Air Force were held incommunicado by the DIA over an alleged coup attempt. The officers have reportedly been detained for more than three weeks under what sources described as “unusual and suspicious conditions,” prompting concerns among their families, who initially feared they had been kidnapped.

Security analysts have questioned why the DIA, rather than individual military services, is handling the investigation, describing it as “highly political.” Some observers suggest the alleged plot and arrests may have deeper political implications, potentially involving former officeholders with ties to the late ex-President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

Sylva, a close ally of Buhari, served as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources from 2019 to 2023. He also contested the November 2023 Bayelsa governorship election as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate but lost to incumbent Governor Douye Diri of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).