By peterside Rejoice
The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, has reportedly been arrested by military intelligence operatives over alleged involvement in the financing of a failed coup plot against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to security sources, Ogbuku, a political ally and nominee of former Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva, was taken into custody after intelligence reports linked him to a suspicious financial transaction allegedly connected to the attempted coup.
Investigations revealed that the NDDC recently awarded a shoreline protection contract worth over N54 billion, with about N20 billion already disbursed as mobilisation fees. Security operatives are said to be probing the trail of this ₦20 billion, which is suspected to have been diverted to finance the purported plot to overthrow the Tinubu-led administration.
A top military intelligence officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that investigators are working on the theory that the transferred funds were traced to accounts linked to Sylva, the former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources.
“The MD transferred a huge sum of money to Sylva. Investigators believe the transaction is tied to the coup plot. He is currently being interrogated on the purpose of the fund and its intended use,” the source disclosed.
The alleged coup plot, which has rattled the nation’s security architecture, follows earlier reports that 16 military officers were arrested for allegedly conspiring to overthrow the government.
Although the Defence Headquarters had initially downplayed the incident in its official statement, sources within the military have hinted at “ongoing secret meetings and interrogations” involving several high-profile suspects.
According to SaharaReporters, the coup investigation has taken a wider scope, with several political figures now under discreet surveillance for possible links to the plot.
As at press time, neither the NDDC nor Timipre Sylva has issued any official statement on the allegations. The Federal Government has also remained silent, while military authorities continue to intensify their investigation into what has been described as “a serious national security breach.”
This development comes amid growing public scrutiny of how intervention agencies, including the NDDC, manage public funds amid widespread concerns about corruption and political interference in the Niger Delta region.
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