ABUJA, Nigeria — Nigerian security authorities have detained the Nollywood actor and director Stanley Amandi in connection with an alleged plot by military officers to forcibly remove the government of President Bola Tinubu, according to defence officials and sources within the film industry.
Mr. Amandi, a former chairman of the Actors Guild of Nigeria’s Enugu State chapter, was arrested in September 2025, a source in the guild said. He was taken into custody alongside several military officers accused of planning a violent seizure of power.
The filmmaker was allegedly engaged by the suspected plotters to serve as a media propagandist, officials familiar with the investigation said.
Alleged Plot and Targets
Government officials said the officers under investigation had mapped out plans to overthrow the administration and allegedly discussed assassinating senior political figures, including Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas.
On Monday, the Defence Headquarters publicly confirmed the existence of what it described as an unlawful plot to unseat the government and said the implicated officers would face trial before military judicial panels.
In a statement, the military said investigations had been concluded and submitted to “appropriate superior authority in line with extant regulations.”
The inquiry, it said, was “comprehensive” and examined “all circumstances surrounding the conduct of the affected personnel.”
The statement added that investigators had identified “a number of officers with allegations of plotting to overthrow the government,” describing the conduct as “inconsistent with the ethics, values and professional standards required of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.”
Role of the Actor
According to industry sources, Mr. Amandi was allegedly recruited to assist the group by producing and disseminating propaganda material in support of the planned action.
The Actors Guild of Nigeria source said Mr. Amandi had been held since his arrest in September 2025 and remained under investigation alongside the military suspects.
No formal charges against him have yet been publicly detailed.
Career in Film
Mr. Amandi has built a career in Nigeria’s film industry as an actor, director and production manager.
He directed The Album and Tiger King in 2008, and later worked on Cornerstone in 2019. He also appeared as an actor in Once Upon a Dream in 2024.
His last known social media post on Instagram was published on September 19, 2025, days before his reported arrest.
Military Proceedings
The Defence Headquarters said the implicated officers would be tried under military law, in line with existing regulations governing disciplinary and criminal matters in the armed forces.
Officials said the proceedings would be handled by appropriate military judicial panels.
The authorities have not disclosed how many officers are involved or when the trials will begin.
The case marks one of the most serious alleged security threats faced by the Tinubu administration since it took office, and has drawn attention because of the involvement of a prominent figure in the entertainment industry.
Neither Mr. Amandi nor his legal representatives have publicly commented on the allegations.
