Nollywood Filmmaker Stanley Amandi arrested over alleged plot to overthrow Tinubu

Nollywood filmmaker and actor Stanley Amandi has been arrested alongside some military officers and civilians over an alleged plot to violently overthrow the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

Amandi, who is a director and former chairman of the Enugu State chapter of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), has been in custody since September 2025, according to an online report by Very Nigerian.

This is the first time information about the actor’s alleged role in the foiled coup plot has become public.

The report said those behind the plot allegedly engaged Amandi as a propagandist, as part of a plan that reportedly involved the assassination of senior government officials.

According to government sources briefed on the matter, the officers involved allegedly planned a violent takeover in which President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas and other senior officials were marked for elimination.

Very Nigerian reports that on Monday, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) confirmed that investigations into the alleged plan to oust the Tinubu administration illegally had been concluded, adding that 16 indicted officers would be arraigned before military judicial panels.

In a statement, the Defence Headquarters said the findings of the investigation had been forwarded to the “appropriate superior authority in line with extant regulations.”

The military described the probe as “comprehensive,” noting that it examined “all circumstances surrounding the conduct of the affected personnel” in line with established procedures.

It added that several officers were identified as having allegations of plotting to overthrow the government, describing such actions as “inconsistent with the ethics, values and professional standards required of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.”

In October 2025, 16 officers were under investigation for an alleged coup plot, although the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) at the time said they were being probed for “indiscipline and breach of service regulations.”

Sources familiar with the investigation said more military officers and civilians were later arrested as the probe expanded.

According to the sources, military officers implicated in the plot will first face court martials before possible civil proceedings, while civilians, including Amandi, are expected to be tried in civil courts.

Stanley Amandi is a known figure in Nollywood, having worked as an actor, production manager and director.

His notable projects include ‘The Album’, which he directed; ‘Tiger King’, which he directed and produced in 2008; ‘Cornerstone’, produced in 2019; and ‘Once Upon a Dream’, in which he appeared as an actor in 2024.

His last Instagram post was on September 19, 2025, shortly before his arrest and he had not been seen anywhere in public since then.

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