Families of some Nigerian military officers standing trial over an alleged coup plot against President Bola Tinubu have called for an immediate and independent investigation into what they described as the unauthorised access to and withdrawal of funds from the personal bank accounts of their detained relatives.
The families made the demand in an exclusive interview with SaharaReporters, insisting that the allegations raise serious concerns about the security of the detainees’ financial information and the conduct of those responsible for their custody.
According to the families, evidence available to them suggests that transactions were carried out on some of the detained officers’ bank accounts without their knowledge or authorisation while they remained in military detention.
“We, the families of the detained military officers, are calling for an immediate and independent investigation into the alleged unauthorised access to, and withdrawal of funds from, the personal bank accounts of some of our loved ones while they remain in detention,” the statement said.
“We have been made aware of evidence suggesting unauthorised transactions, and this has raised serious concerns for us about the security of our relatives’ personal financial information and the integrity of those responsible for their custody.”
The families said they believe the allegations warrant a thorough investigation to determine how the accounts were accessed and whether anyone abused their position or unlawfully obtained the detainees’ sensitive banking information.
“We believe these allegations warrant a thorough investigation to establish how the accounts were accessed and whether any individual abused their position or unlawfully obtained sensitive banking details,” they added.
They urged the relevant authorities to identify and prosecute anyone found culpable, recover any funds unlawfully withdrawn where appropriate, and introduce measures to protect the financial assets and personal property of persons held in custody.
“We are urging the relevant authorities to identify and prosecute anyone found responsible, recover any unlawfully withdrawn funds where appropriate, and implement strong measures to safeguard the personal property and financial assets of all persons in custody,” they said.
“We maintain that protecting detainees from financial exploitation is a fundamental responsibility of the state, and we are calling for full transparency and accountability in resolving this matter.”
The latest demand follows an earlier SaharaReporters investigation which uncovered evidence suggesting that some of the detainees’ phones and bank accounts were accessed without authorisation after their arrest.
SaharaReporters had reported that relatives accused personnel of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) of hacking into the detainees’ mobile phones, emptying their bank accounts, purchasing airtime and even obtaining loans in their names while the suspects remained in detention.
Family members told SaharaReporters that suspicious banking activities began shortly after the arrests and continued for several weeks.
According to the relatives, the detainees’ mobile phones were allegedly forcefully accessed, providing unrestricted access to banking applications and other sensitive personal information.
“They forcefully accessed their phones. After that, they started using their bank accounts,” one family member had told SaharaReporters.
“Anytime we tried to use our father’s debit card, it always showed that there was no money in the account.”
Documents reviewed by SaharaReporters showed repeated successful login notifications into a Zenith Bank mobile banking account belonging to one of the detainees on July 14, 2026.
The email alerts indicated successful logins at 11:06:52am, 1:33:49pm and 3:42:02pm on the same day.
The repeated login notifications raised questions because family members insisted that the account owner was in military detention at the time and had no access to his mobile phone.
Financial records obtained by SaharaReporters also showed that one of the affected accounts, which reportedly held about N5.2 million as of April 23, 2026, was gradually depleted until only about N5,000 remained.
Another banking record reviewed by SaharaReporters indicated that a loan of N197,000 was allegedly disbursed into one of the detainees’ accounts on June 11, 2026, with an upfront charge of N23,000.
Relatives insisted that the account holder neither applied for nor authorised the loan.
The families had also called on relatives of other detained suspects to obtain bank statements covering the period of detention to determine whether similar unauthorised transactions had occurred.
The fresh allegations come amid ongoing controversy surrounding the detention conditions of the military personnel standing trial before a General Court Martial over an alleged plot to overthrow the government of President Bola Tinubu.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that one of the defendants, Captain M.L. Muhammad, allegedly suffered convulsions and collapsed while in detention, forcing the suspension of court proceedings.
Security sources had alleged that Captain Muhammad was being held in what they described as an illegal 30-foot underground detention facility operated by the Defence Intelligence Agency, where he reportedly developed severe medical complications, including convulsions, repeated vomiting, seizures and breathing difficulties before collapsing.
The allegations have not been independently verified, and the authorities have yet to publicly respond to them.
(SaharaReporters)