A Nigerian Army Lance Corporal, Sambo Danladi, has told a court how he was allegedly handcuffed, blindfolded and taken from Enugu State to Abuja by soldiers who claimed that the General Officer Commanding (GOC) wanted to see him, before he was detained and pressured to implicate a senior military officer in an alleged coup plot.
Danladi, an Infantry Corps personnel of the Nigerian Army in Enugu, gave the testimony during his examination-in-chief on September 10, 2025.
According to the soldier, he was on a special assignment when he arrived at a car park on October 26, 2025, where some soldiers approached him and told him that the GOC wanted to see him.
He said the soldiers assured him that the matter was official and that his commander was aware of the development.
Danladi told the court that he followed the soldiers into a vehicle, where he was handcuffed and blindfolded before being taken to Abuja.
He said he was eventually taken to the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), although he only discovered later that the location was the intelligence agency.
“I am Sambo Danladi, Infantry Corps, Nigerian Army Enugu. I was on special assignment on 26 October, 2025. On my arrival at the car park, a soldier asked me that GOC wanted to see me. They said it was official and my commander was aware,” he told the court.
“I followed them into a vehicle where I was handcuffed and blindfolded and taken to Abuja. I was then taken to DIA, which I later knew.”
According to the witness, on October 27, 2025, a man whom he later identified as Captain Ukpong entered his room, took his photograph and collected his personal information, including his Army number, particulars and residential address.
“On 27 October, someone entered my room, whom I later identified as Captain Ukpong. He snapped me and collected my biodata, my particulars, my Army numbers and where I reside,” Danladi said.
He further told the court that later that day, a Lieutenant Chima woke him up and began questioning him about his identity and the reason for his detention.
“He met me and asked who I am. He asked if I knew why I was here. He said that I was in DIA, Abuja. I did not know why I was there,” the witness said.
Danladi said Lieutenant Chima asked him to cooperate with the investigation team and questioned him about a Warrant Officer Nasiru and another person identified as Maaji.
“He wanted me to cooperate with the investigation team. He asked if I knew Warrant Officer Nasiru. He asked about Maaji; I didn’t know him,” he said.
“He asked my connection with Nasiru and said, ‘Where is he?’ I said he was on pass. He then left.”
The witness said he did not see anyone else that day, although he said they faced what appeared to be a SIP, or service investigation process.
He said that on October 28, Lieutenant Chima and Captain Ukpong returned to his room and questioned him about his relationship with Warrant Officer Nasiru.
“On 28th, Chima and Captain Ukpong walked into my room and met me. They asked me questions, which I said I knew the warrant officer,” he said.
“They said, ‘Are you aware he is a coup plotter?’ I said no.”
According to Danladi, he was asked whether he knew what work Nasiru had allegedly given him concerning a coup plot.
“He asked which work he gave, private work on the coup plot. I told him that I didn’t know. He said okay,” the witness testified.
Danladi explained that Captain Ukpong subsequently told him that the authorities knew there was nothing linking him to the alleged plot and that he had been brought into the matter because of his closeness to Nasiru.
“Then Captain Ukpong said that he knows that there is nothing related to an issue like this. I was called here because of my closeness to Nasiru and I will testify against him,” he said.
“I said I don’t know anything and I can’t testify on what I don’t know.”
The soldier said he pleaded to be allowed to contact his wife because she would be worried about his whereabouts.
“I asked him that I am supposed to be home. I asked to call her so that she would be at rest. He said that he would tell the authority,” Danladi said.
He said Captain Ukpong later returned and told him that he would be released that day, but attached a condition to his release.
“He later came back, and he said that they would be releasing me today. The only thing is for me to implicate the warrant officer,” the witness told the court.
Danladi said Captain Ukpong appealed to his loyalty to the Nigerian Army and told him that he would not be implicated if he agreed to testify against Nasiru.
“He even quoted words in core value. He said my loyalty is to the Army, that I am a lance corporal that would not be implicated if I agree to testify,” he said.
The witness said he requested permission to contact either his wife or brother so that they could arrange legal representation for him, but alleged that the request was rejected.
“I requested to talk to my wife or my brother to send my legal [representative]. He said no need for that since I would be released and I would be a witness and just accept what they tell me,” Danladi said.
“He walked out.”
According to the soldier, Captain Ukpong later returned with a typed document and instructed him to read and copy it.
“Later he came back with a paper, a typed note that said I should go through it. I said everything on it didn’t happen and you expect me to write it,” Danladi testified.
He also stated that the document contained information that could implicate him.
“What is there also implicated me. He promised to exonerate me and no one would look for me. He said he won’t interrogate me,” the witness said.
Danladi said he eventually took the document and started copying it.
He told the court that, during the process, he was taken to Lance Corporal Nasiru and instructed to tell him what the authorities had allegedly promised him regarding his release and exoneration.
“They took me to Lance Corporal Nasiru. In the process of copying, they called me to Lance Corporal Nasiru to tell him what they told me about being exonerated and released,” he said.
He said he subsequently returned and continued copying the statement.
“I returned and continued copying. Someone came in and showed me where to sign. He collected the original and I folded the copy,” Danladi said.
“He later came back and collected the typed statement.”
The witness said he was subsequently transferred to another facility, which he later confirmed was the IMC, where he alleged he had remained detained.
“They took me to IMC, which I later confirmed. They detained me there since then till now,” he told the court.
Danladi also gave evidence about the conditions under which he was held, alleging that he was not adequately fed during the first days of his detention.
He said he arrived on October 26 and went to bed without food.
“Also, the day I arrived on 26th, I slept without food. On 27th, I was given food once, same on 28th,” he said.
The soldier further alleged that he was not allowed to contact either a lawyer or his wife during the period.
“I was not allowed to contact a lawyer or my wife,” he told the court.
During cross-examination, Danladi was questioned about whether he had been informed of his right to legal representation and why he did not nominate a lawyer.
When asked, “After they explained your rights to a lawyer, why didn’t you name a lawyer?” Danladi responded:
“Nobody told me right to a lawyer.”
He was also asked whether Lieutenant Chima had ever requested that he implicate the person in question.
“Lt Chima never requested for you to implicate me?” he was asked.
Danladi responded: “That is your testimony.”
He was further asked whether anyone had solicited his cooperation.
“No one solicited your cooperation?” he was asked.
The witness replied: “Still, that is your perspective; I was there. And I am here to testify what happened to me.”
During the proceedings, Danladi also stated that he did not have the copy of the draft statement with him.
“I do not have the copy of the draft copy with me,” he said.
When asked to identify an exhibit, the witness examined the document and told the court:
“I see two signatures on the first and second page.”
(SaharaReporters)
