Nigeria woke up on October 31, 2025, to a bombshell that could rewrite its political playbook. Investigators have unearthed a staggering N45 billion trail from Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) coffers, allegedly siphoned to fuel a high-stakes plot against President Bola Tinubu's regime. Not just any scheme, this one smells of deep betrayal, with detained military brass and shadowy politicians in the crosshairs.
Picture this: Eagle Square in Abuja, buzzing with Independence Day fervor on October 1, 2025. But beneath the celebrations, plotters allegedly schemed a massacre or full-blown disruption to topple the government. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) are now deep in the dig, freezing accounts and grilling NDDC bigwigs like Managing Director Dr. Samuel Ogbuku who's firing back, slamming reports as "malicious" and demanding retractions. The funds? Dished out in sneaky tranches, tied to bogus contracts, and traced straight to the pockets of 16 suspects, mostly northern officers, fueling online chatter about ethnic witch hunts.
Suspects are: Brigadier General Musa Abubakar Sadiq, a 51-year-old Nasarawa native with a checkered past. This NDA alum, once commanding Kano's 3rd Brigade, was nabbed last October for allegedly flogging rice palliatives and hawking army gear. Flanking him: Colonel M.A. Ma’aji, the Niger State tactician who's tangoed with Operation Delta Safe; Lieutenant Colonel S. Bappah from Bauchi; and a roster heavy on infantry hotshots like Majors A.J. Ibrahim and M.M. Jiddah. Fifteen hail from northern roots - Hausa, Fulani, Kanuri - while a lone southern lieutenant, S.S. Felix, rounds out the uneasy mix. Two from Navy and Air Force too, hinting at a cross-branch conspiracy.
Skeptics are buzzing: Why would southern NDDC cash bankroll a northern-led uprising? Social media erupts with theories, propaganda to purge rivals? A real threat quashed just in time? The timing? Eerily synced with yesterday's army shake-up: 67 top officers reshuffled, effective November 3, in what insiders call a loyalty litmus test. Only four major generals keep their seats - loyalists, say the whispers. Expect a wave of retirements by year's end, promotions for the faithful.
Presidential aide Bayo Onanuga admits the drama's spooking investors, but the government is delaying the investigation: denials without details. As Social media timelines light up with leaked profiles and doomsday scrolls, one question lingers: Is this the spark that fractures Nigeria's fragile unity, or just another storm in the teacup of power plays? The billions are frozen, the officers caged but the real plot? It might still be unfolding in the halls of Aso Rock.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!