Military investigators have traced N45bn in suspicious NDDC transactions allegedly linked to detained soldiers and politically exposed persons amid ongoing coup plot investigations.
The Defence Intelligence Agency has reportedly uncovered a trail of N45 billion linked to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) amid investigations into an alleged coup plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Sources said part of the funds was traced to politically exposed persons and some of the 16 military officers detained earlier this month. The disbursements were tied to a shoreline project awarded to a former South-South governor.
Investigators have since questioned top NDDC officials over the source and utilisation of the funds, triggering anxiety within the commission. An insider disclosed, “Since the news broke about the interrogation of the top shots, the atmosphere here has been uneasy.”
The probe also led to a raid on the Abuja home of former Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, by DIA operatives, who arrested his brother and driver. Sylva, currently abroad for medical checks and a conference, denied any link to the alleged plot.
His aide, Julius Bokoru, described the reports as “the handiwork of desperate and self-seeking politicians trying to actualise their ambitions in 2027,” stressing that Sylva remains a “thoroughbred democrat.”
The Defence Headquarters maintained that no coup attempt occurred, insisting the detained officers were being investigated for “professional misconduct.”
NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, denied being arrested, while the commission’s spokesperson, Seledi Thompson-Wakama, declined comments.
Security sources confirmed that the inquiry into the N45bn trail forms part of a broader investigation into the movement of public funds and its possible connection to subversive activities.