While Nigeria is known for its successful takeovers, the history of failed coups is often more violent and led to significant purges within the military.
Here is a list of the major unsuccessful military coup attempts in Nigeria:
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February 13, 1976 (The Dimka Coup): Led by Lieutenant Colonel Buka Suka Dimka. Although they succeeded in assassinating the Head of State, General Murtala Muhammed, the coup failed to take over the government. Dimka and several others, including former Defense Minister Ilya Bisalla, were executed.
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December 1985 (The Vatsa Plot): This was a conspiracy against the government of General Ibrahim Babangida. It was led by Major General Mamman Vatsa, a childhood friend of Babangida and a renowned soldier-poet. Vatsa and ten other officers were executed in March 1986.
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April 22, 1990 (The Orkar Coup): One of the bloodiest failed attempts, led by Major Gideon Orkar. The plotters attacked Dodan Barracks (then the seat of power) and nearly killed General Babangida. They famously announced the “excising” of five northern states from Nigeria. Orkar and 68 other soldiers were subsequently executed.
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March 1995 (The Lawan Gwadabe Alleged Coup): Under the regime of General Sani Abacha, several officers, including Lawan Gwadabe, were arrested for an alleged plot. This “phantom coup” was also used to implicate former Head of State Olusegun Obasanjo and his deputy Shehu Musa Yar’Adua.
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December 1997 (The Diya Plot): Abacha’s second-in-command, General Oladipo Diya, was arrested for allegedly planning to topple his boss. Diya and others were sentenced to death, but the sentence was never carried out because Abacha died in June 1998.
The Recent 2025/2026 Plot
As of today, January 31, 2026, the most recent entry into this history is the alleged plot involving military officers and civilians like Stanley Amandi.
Security operatives reportedly moved against the group in September 2025 to prevent a move against the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Investigators alleged that the group intended to assassinate top leaders, prompting the government to reiterate that “the rebirth movement remains firmly on course” and that the democracy of the Fourth Republic remains “legally intact and unshaken.”
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