President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima and other senior Nigerian officials were identified as primary targets in an alleged assassination plan linked to a foiled coup, according to findings from ongoing security investigations.
According to Premium Times, details emerging from the probe indicate that the plotters designed a coordinated operation aimed at eliminating key figures in the civilian leadership as a prelude to seizing power.
Investigators believe the plan prioritised political authority figures to create a leadership vacuum and trigger institutional paralysis.
Moreover, sources familiar with the investigation said the list of intended targets extended beyond the President and his deputy to include the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, among others.
The suspects were said to have mapped out a narrow execution window when the named officials would be accessible within the country.
Furthermore, security briefings revealed that while civilian leaders were marked for assassination, senior military commanders were to be arrested and detained to prevent an immediate counter-response.
This strategy, investigators said, underscored an attempt to neutralise both political legitimacy and military resistance simultaneously.
However, intelligence intercepts and coordinated counter-intelligence operations reportedly disrupted the plot before it could advance to an operational phase.
Arrests were subsequently made, and interrogations are ongoing to establish the full network, funding channels and external links connected to the alleged conspiracy.
Meanwhile, security authorities have tightened protective measures around public office holders and critical state institutions.
Officials said the government remains on high alert and is reviewing existing safeguards to prevent any resurgence of similar threats.
The alleged plot was uncovered in Abuja following weeks of surveillance and intelligence gathering, with security agencies confirming that suspects will face prosecution under applicable national security and treason laws.