By Peter Dansu A Nollywood filmmaker and actor, Stanley Amandi, has been arrested over his alleged involvement in a failed coup plot aimed ...
By Peter Dansu
A Nollywood filmmaker and actor, Stanley Amandi, has been arrested over his alleged involvement in a failed coup plot aimed at violently overthrowing the administration of President Bola Tinubu, report by Premium Times has stated.
Mr Amandi, a director and former chairman of the Enugu State chapter of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, was arrested in September 2025 alongside several military officers accused of planning a violent takeover of government.
This is the first time details of the actor’s alleged role in the plot are being made public.
According to Premium Times, investigations revealed that the filmmaker was allegedly recruited by the plotters to serve as a propagandist, tasked with producing and spreading materials to justify and promote the planned overthrow. Security sources said the coup plotters had marked several top government officials for assassination as part of the plan.
According to government officials briefed on the matter last year, the targets allegedly included President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, among others.
On Monday, the Defence Headquarters confirmed the existence of the plot to illegally remove the Tinubu administration, announcing that officers indicted in the matter would soon be arraigned before military judicial panels.
In a statement, the military said investigations into the alleged coup had been concluded and forwarded to the appropriate superior authority in line with existing regulations. It described the probe as comprehensive, noting that it examined all circumstances surrounding the conduct of the affected personnel.
The Defence Headquarters said the findings identified a number of officers involved in planning to overthrow the government, adding that such actions were inconsistent with the ethics, values and professional standards expected of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
Background to the Arrests
In October last year, PREMIUM TIMES reported that at least 16 military officers were under investigation for allegedly planning a coup, although the army at the time said they were being probed for indiscipline and breaches of service regulations.
Further investigations later led to the arrest of additional officers and civilians linked to the alleged plot. Sources familiar with the case disclosed that both senior military officers and civilians are expected to face trial as investigators continue to unravel the network behind the plan.
Military officers involved will first be tried by court martial, after which they may face civil proceedings, while civilians implicated in the matter, including Mr Amandi, are expected to be tried in regular civil courts.
Profile of the Arrested Filmmaker
Mr Amandi is a familiar face in Nollywood, with years of experience as an actor, director and production manager. His body of work includes directing The Album, Tiger King in 2008, and Cornerstone in 2019. He also appeared as an actor in the 2024 movie Once Upon a Dream.
His last activity on Instagram was recorded on 19 September 2025, just days before his arrest, according to findings by this newspaper.
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