There was palpable tension on Wednesday, over a leaked report revealing that the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, summoned an emergency meeting, over a recent revelation of a possible military coup.
It was gathered that the recent redeployment in the Nigerian Army, was connected with the alarm, as the Chief of Army Staff, General TY Burutai, in the meeting, vowed to crush any coup plot against President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
Recall, that on May 10, Brigadier General Sani Kukasheka Usman, Director Army Public Relations, in a statement said: “In a bid to re-strategize, the Nigerian Army has posted in 147 Officers into Operation LAFIYA DOLE, some divisions, formations, and training schools.”
According to the report, just hours after Buhari left Nigeria to the United Kingdom for a medical follow-up, Buratai, it was learnt, requested to see Osinbajo urgently.
At the meeting in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Buratai was said to have presented Osinbajo with intelligence, that some prominent Politicians were hobnobbing with Army Officers and Soldiers, in a bid to compromise them.
The Acting President, it was gathered, thanked Buratai and said he trusted the Army Chief to put his Officers and Soldiers in check.
Buratai responded by pledging his loyalty to the Buhari administration, and hinted that he would carry out “immediate changes”, to counter any plan to topple the government.
There are concerns over the safety of the Acting President, Osinbajo, and it is believed that he would have reached out to his boss over the alarming security report.
In reaction, former Aviation Minister, Fani-Kayode, had alleged that the latest Nigerian Army shake-up, is political and aimed at undermining Osinbajo.
He said: “It is not by accident that every single security agency in Nigeria today, is headed by a Northern Muslim, except for the Navy.
“And now for the first time since 1999, a Northern Muslim has been appointed GOC of the all-powerful and critical 1st Division, which covers the North-West.