Security Agencies Probe Ex-Militant Leaders, Former Amnesty Boss Over Alleged Plot Against Tinubu Administration
Date: Saturday, November 1, 2025
Nigeria’s intelligence community has reportedly expanded its ongoing investigation into alleged subversive activities aimed at destabilising the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with attention now focused on a number of influential figures from the Niger Delta region.
According to authoritative security sources who spoke with Daily Sun, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) have jointly identified several “Persons of Specific Concern” (PSC). Those under scrutiny include four former militant leaders who were central to the Niger Delta struggle that led to the creation of the Presidential Amnesty Programme under the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
Three of the four individuals are said to have belonged to the group once referred to as the “Big Five” during the amnesty negotiations. Two hail from Rivers State, one from Bayelsa, and another from Ondo State.
Sources further disclosed that one of the military officers earlier arrested in connection with the alleged plot—a former battalion commander in Ondo State—maintained a longstanding relationship with one of the Niger Delta figures currently under surveillance.
Also on the radar of investigators is a retired military officer from Rivers State who previously headed the Presidential Amnesty Office.
A senior security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that while no formal allegations have been made, the individuals’ recent activities and interactions warranted closer scrutiny.
“We cannot confirm that they were involved in any subversive activities at this stage,” the official said. “However, when certain events and patterns of association emerge in situations like this, the appropriate security measures must be taken. For now, we are profiling movements and communications linked to those under review.”
Meetings Under Investigation
Intelligence findings have reportedly traced three meetings between some of the individuals and one of the detained officers to Kaduna, Minna (Niger State), and Port Harcourt. The meetings, sources said, prompted further monitoring and analysis by the relevant agencies.
“These individuals, currently designated as Persons of Specific Concern, are being profiled carefully,” another intelligence source explained. “The key question is what motivated their repeated meetings with a suspect already in custody.”
Discontent Over Federal Patronage
Preliminary investigations suggest that the scrutiny may also relate to lingering grievances over the distribution of federal patronage and intervention projects in the Niger Delta.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the affected individuals were reportedly displeased that a major multi-billion-naira federal project was awarded to a single contractor rather than being shared among several leading former militant figures.
“They have made repeated efforts to have the project divided among them, but the Office of the National Security Adviser has maintained its position that the contract will remain as awarded, provided the desired outcomes are achieved,” a senior source noted.
Although none of the individuals have been accused of wrongdoing, the ongoing investigation underscores the government’s heightened vigilance over activities that could threaten national stability. Security officials reaffirmed that the monitoring is precautionary and aimed at preventing any potential security breach.
