Stanley Amandi
The Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has confirmed the arrest of Nollywood actor, Stanley Amandi, following reports linking him to an alleged plot to overthrow the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Amandi, a former chairman of the AGN Enugu State chapter, was reportedly arrested in September 2025, but the allegations only became public on Friday.
According to the AGN, the actor’s family informed the guild of his detention last year, but the organisation said it did not know the arrest was linked to a coup plot until media reports emerged.
Speaking to Nigeria’s TheCable Lifestyle, AGN outgoing president Emeka Rollas said an official statement would be released soon. His successor, Abubakar Yakubu, explained that the guild initially believed the matter was a routine security case.
“We thought it was an ordinary case,” Yakubu said, adding that the DSS later said Amandi was not in their custody, but with the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).
Reports of a possible coup attempt surfaced in October 2025 after the government cancelled Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day parade. The Defence Headquarters denied any link at the time, but it was later reported that 16 military officers were arrested over the alleged plot.
The AGN says it is carefully considering the issue and has not taken any official position yet due to its sensitive nature.