REVEALED: Air force officer detailed to kill Ribadu in foiled coup plot

An air force officer recently posted to the Office of theNational Security Adviser (ONSA) was detailed to kill Nuhu Ribadu, the nationalsecurity adviser (NSA), sources familiar with the investigation of the allegedcoup plot have revealed.SB Adamu, a squadron leader with service no NAF/3481 fromJigawa state, was posted to the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) — aprogramme coordinated by ONSA — four weeks before the alleged coup plot wasbotched.Contrary to reports that many of the suspects were workingwith 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.TheCable quoting Military sources disclosed that when AdamuGarba Laka, a major general and national coordinator of NCTC, requested for aspecific officer to be posted to the centre in August 2025, he was surprisedthat his request was not approved.Instead, Adamu was posted to the office — and this is nowfuelling speculation that the alleged coup plotters had infiltrated themilitary hierarchy.Adamu was a member of regular course 59 of the NigerianDefence Academy (NDA).President Bola Tinubu recently did a clear-out, sacking twoof his services chiefs, including Hasan Abubakar, an air marshal.The detailed squadron leader was allegedly detailed to “takeout” Ribadu just as some other officers were tasked with killing other seniorgovernment officials, TheCable reports.He is said to be cooperating with investigators.Military authorities are yet to officially confirm the coupplot.Defence Headquarters (DHQ) insisted, in a press statementafter Sahara Reporters broke the story, that the ongoing investigation of 16officers is a “routine internal process aimed at ensuring [that] discipline andprofessionalism is maintained within the ranks”.Tukur Gusau, a brigadier and director of defenceinformation, said the findings of the investigation will be made public.Media reports have continued to reveal the identities ofthose in detention after the story of the alleged coup plot.

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