EXCLUSIVE: Nigerian Air Force Officer Who Is Ex-Governor Sylva's Relative, Detained Over Alleged Coup Against Tinubu

Sylva, who is now on the run later confirmed the visit but denied any involvement, describing attempts to link him to the matter as politically motivated.

A Nigerian Air Force Officer, Noel Godday Zuzu, is one of the military officers detained by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) for allegedly planning a coup d’etat to overthrow President Bola Tinubu.

SaharaReporters had exclusively reported the arrest and subsequent detention of senior military officers, led by an Army Brigadier General, for planning a coup in October 2025.

The case drew political attention after military operatives raided the Maitama, Abuja residence of former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Governor of Bayelsa, Timipre Sylva, in connection with the investigation.

Sylva, who is now on the run later confirmed the visit but denied any involvement, describing attempts to link him to the matter as politically motivated.

Military sources told SaharaReporters that Zuzu, a Squadron Leader (Air Force equivalent of a Major in the Nigerian Army), is also from Bayelsa State.

He is reported to be a relative of the former governor and allegedly joined the Nigerian Air Force through his connection.

“He is a relative of Sylva, yes, that former Bayelsa State governor said to be a major financier. I think he's his nephew, but I'm not sure of that, but they are relatives,” a military source said.

Before his arrest on October 4, 2025, he was attached to 053 HQ NAF Camp Abuja.

The graduate of Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, is from Agudama in the South-South state.

Zuzu is number 17 on an exclusive list of 36 detainees, including a police Inspector, Ahmed Ibrahim, obtained by SaharaReporters.

Among the military officers detained are: an Army Brigadier General, 2 Colonels, 5 Lieutenant Colonels, 1 Wing Commander (Air Force equivalent of a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army), 8 Majors, 1 Lieutenant Commander (Navy equivalent of a Major in the Army), 2 Squadron Leaders, 5 Captains, and a Lieutenant.

Also in detention are 10 non-commissioned officers (NCOs), including a Warrant Officer, 5 Sergeants, one Corporal, and two Lance Corporals.

While one of the detained Army Captains, A. Yusuf, is from Osun State, Zuzu is from Bayelsa State. The 33 others are all from the Northern part of the country, including the FCT, with 3 officers.

Two of the officers, a Brigadier General and a Lieutenant Colonel, are from Nasarawa State; 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 affected officers, all Lieutenant Colonels, are from Kaduna, Plateau, and Kano States.

Two Majors are from Gombe State, while another is from Bauchi.

Others are from Kebbi, Jigawa, Zamfara, Taraba, Yobe, Kogi, Sokoto, and Adamawa States.

Meanwhile, some families of the detained officers have repeatedly raised concerns over what they described as inhumane treatment, prolonged incommunicado detention, and denial of access to lawyers and relatives.

Some spouses told SaharaReporters that they were not informed of transfers between detention facilities and had been barred from visits since the arrests.

Despite earlier official denials of any coup plot, last Monday's statement by the DHQ now formally acknowledges that allegations of plotting to overthrow the government were among the findings against some of the detained officers.