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ABUJA: Nigerian authorities on Saturday denied that more than a dozen officers had been arrested over a coup plot, pushing back on local media reports.
The west African country has seen several military takeovers in its history and spent much of the 20th century under junta rule since its independence from Britain.
A fresh coup would turn back the clock on more than a quarter century of civilian rule.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) wishes to categorically state that the claims by the said publication are entirely false,” said a statement from Tukur Gusau, director of defense information, without specifying which outlet he meant.
But Sahara Reporters, an online publication, and Premium Times, based in the capital Abuja, both said Saturday that at least 16 officers were planning to overthrow President Bola Tinubu.
The military had announced earlier this month that 16 officers had been arrested over “issues of indiscipline.”
The two media outlets, citing defense sources, reported that the arrests were in fact linked to a coup plot.
The military is fighting a long-running insurgency against Boko Haram and Daesh West Africa Province in the northeast.
While the violence has waned since its peak a decade ago, attacks continue — including deadly assaults on military bases — seemingly with no end in sight.
Analysts have warned of a rise in jihadist violence this year, while troops have at times reported unpaid wages and poor conditions.
The military is stretched thin on other fronts as well, including fighting armed gangs known as “bandits” in the northwest and separatists in the southeast.
Earlier this month, the army announced that “a routine military exercise has resulted in the arrest of sixteen officers over issues of indiscipline and breach of service regulations.”
The statement added: “Investigations have revealed that their grievances stemmed largely from perceived career stagnation caused by repeated failure in promotion examinations, among other issues.”
In Saturday’s statement, Gusau said the investigation was “a routine internal process aimed at ensuring discipline and professionalism is maintained within the ranks.”

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pakistani and Afghan officials began talks in Qatar on Saturday to defuse tensions, a senior Taliban official said, after at least 10 people were killed in Pakistani airstrikes following a brief truce.
Kabul had accused Islamabad of violating a 48-hour ceasefire, which briefly put a stop to nearly a week of cross-border clashes that killed dozens of troops and civilians on both sides.
Security sources in Islamabad said the latest strikes in the Afghan border areas targeted a militant group linked to the Pakistani Taliban, in retaliation for an attack on Pakistani paramilitary troops.
Afghanistan’s Prime Minister Hassan Akhund said “the discussions are indeed underway,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on X, in a readout of Akhund’s talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Both Akhund and Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif have spoken with Anwar, who appears to be acting as a mediator in the crisis and “emphasized the need to resolve the issue through diplomatic means,” according to the Taliban readout.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry said the talks in Doha aimed to “end cross-border terrorism against Pakistan emanating from Afghanistan and restore peace and stability along the Pak-Afghan border.”
Islamabad’s delegation includes Defense Minister Khawaja Asif and intelligence chief General Asim Malik, state TV reported.
The Afghan delegation was being headed by defense chief Mohammad Yaqoob, the Taliban defense ministry said on X.
Qatar has not commented on its role as host, though Pakistan’s foreign ministry thanked Doha for its “mediation efforts.”

- ‘Still afraid’ -

Security issues are at the heart of the tensions, with Pakistan accusing Afghanistan of sheltering militant groups led by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — a claim Kabul denies.
The cross-border violence flared on October 11, days after explosions rocked Kabul during an unprecedented visit by the Taliban’s foreign minister Amir Muttaqi to India, Pakistan’s rival.
The Taliban then launched a deadly offensive along parts of its southern border with Pakistan, prompting Islamabad to vow a strong response.
Ahead of the talks, a senior Taliban official told AFP that Pakistan had bombed three locations in Paktika province late Friday, and warned that Kabul would retaliate.
A hospital official in Paktika told AFP that 10 civilians, including two children, were killed and 12 others wounded. Three cricket players were among the dead.
Zabihullah, the Taliban spokesman, wrote on X that their forces had been ordered to hold fire “to maintain the dignity and integrity of its negotiating team.”
Saadullah Torjan, a minister in Spin Boldak in Afghanistan’s south, said: “For now, the situation is returning to normal.”
“But there is still a state of war and people are afraid.”
Iran, a neighbor to both countries, offered to help defuse tensions.
In a call between the Iranian and Afghan foreign ministers, Tehran warned that the tensions “threaten to undermine the stability of the entire region,” according to state news agency IRNA.