Nigerian prosecutors have charged seven men over an alleged plot to topple President Bola Tinubu, with six now in detention.

Court documents obtained by The Associated Press indicate that those in custody include a retired major general and an active police inspector. Another suspect, former Bayelsa State governor Timpre Sylva, is alleged to have played a role in shielding the operation and has yet to be arrested.

Details outlined in a 13-count charge sheet accuse the defendants of working together in a coordinated effort aimed at destabilizing the government. Prosecutors claim the group “conspired with one another to levy war against the state to overawe the president of the Federal Republic.”

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The case builds on earlier developments from January, when the government announced it had disrupted a coup plot and signaled that several military officers would face trial. Those officers were among 16 detained in 2025 over what the military described at the time as “acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations,” an episode that initially sparked speculation about a coup before officials dismissed such claims.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has a history marked by five coups during the 20th century, though it has maintained civilian rule since returning to democracy in 1999.

The latest allegations also surface amid a broader pattern across West and Central Africa, where a string of coups and attempted takeovers in recent years, including incidents in Benin and Guinea-Bissau, has unsettled the region. Analysts often link these upheavals to contested elections, constitutional tensions, persistent security threats and growing frustration among younger populations.

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